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Basket to barrel Harvest Experience
Click here for the view video from 2006 Basket to barrel
The layout for the "crush crew"...
Guests begin the morning with coffee and light pastries, while Tolosa's winemakers and owners explain what has occured in the vineyards to bring us to the harvest season. They'll explain the steps taken to determine the date of picking grapes and how each vineyards and varietal vary from year to year.
Guests will then take a trolley ride out to a Chardonnay vineyard in Edna Ranch to get a hands on experience. We'll have the equipment on hand for testing sugar levels of the grapes and then it's time to start picking. Together the group will pick enough grapes to fill one barrel of wine. This will take approximately an hour in the vineyards, and then it's back to the winery to process the grapes.
Once guest follow the tractor full of grapes back to the winery, we'll load them into the hopper and watch the process that Tolosa uses to crush their chardonnay grapes. As the juice is being pressed off we'll transfer it into new French Oak barrels which will be used specifically for your wine only! To make sure no confusion occurs, each member of the group will sign the barrel. Winemakers Larry Brooks and Nathan Carlson will then explain the different types of yeast used in winemaking, as they add a specific mixture to the chardonnay barrel to start the fermentation process.
Once your hard work is completed, then it's time to celebrate the fruits of your labor! Enjoy a harvest inspired lunch along with refreshing Tolosa wines on the patio.
What happens to your wine?
The wine produced by you on this day will be kept separate from all other barrels and in 9-12 months will be bottled with a private label just for participants. We'll invite you back to the winery for a release party once your wine has been bottled and each member will receive 6 bottles of this truly "hand-crafted" wines.
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"What a great learning experience the "Basket to Barrel" events are for everyone.
From picking to drinking it gives you an appreciation of the importance of the initial
product, the grapes!"
Bill Carpenter, Cornerview Restaurant, 2006 Participant | 
