Here's what our day looks like during harvest

Harvest Diary, August 27, 2025: At this time of year, we are absolutely dependent (even more than usual) on nature. Every day, the weather is meticulously assessed, and then we partly spontaneously decide what needs to be done today. Our sleep rhythm is unimportant, other plans are discarded, personal needs don't count. Nature dictates what needs to happen when and how quickly to get the best out of our little grapes.

Photo: Senior Manager Otmar during manual harvest

Today we're just taking you along to the winery. You probably know that we manage the winery and the forest hut with three Grafs plus our Kristine. Each of us contributes significantly to the overall success, and each has a very specific area of responsibility. In addition, we are supported by a great team. In total, during harvest season, our peak season, about 25 people are employed at the winery.

4:30 AM: The alarm clock rings

For cellar master Peter Graf and winemaker's assistant Dominik, the harvest day begins.

5:15 AM: The two meet in the vineyard

With them: the so-called "harvester" (a harvesting machine).

This ungodly early time is not a voluntary decision. Because the microbiological processes in the grapes begin the second the grape is separated from the vine. The cooler the grapes, the better they withstand the transport to the press, which can take up to 30 minutes depending on the location of the vineyard.

The second reason is our bottleneck, the press, all grapes have to go through it. But there is only one perfect time for harvesting - and we can only press 4 tons of grapes at once. That's why we work in a 2-shift system during peak season.

6:30 AM: The first stage goal achieved!

4 tons of Sauvignon blanc grapes have been harvested!

Until 7 AM: Transport to the winery

Our tractor rattles through the morning vineyards with the full mash wagon (= a trailer specially made for grapes) to the press.

Until 8:30 AM: From the mash wagon over the grape sorting table into the press

Photo: Unloading the grapes from the mash wagon

The team is already waiting at the winery. On the sorting table, the grapes are lovingly sorted – all berries that are not plump or bitten (e.g., by wasps or the spotted wing drosophila) are removed. Then they are gradually filled into the press and mashed there (i.e., the grapes are lightly crushed). The berry skin and pulp remain in the so-called "cold maceration" (soaking time) with a maceration period of about 4-6 hours. This releases aromas from the grape skin, the first acids begin to work, and the later fermentation gains better quality. Now the grapes get a break;

Stress reduction and aroma development are on the agenda!

Until 10 AM: Cleaning, cleaning, cleaning

Dominik cleans the trailer, the sorting table, the hall, the hoses, the tanks, lays the hose line from the press to the tanks - and takes a well-deserved coffee break!

9 - 10 AM: Drive with the Unimog plus water trailer to the forest hut

For Jürgen Graf, the workday begins with a drive in the rustic Unimog through the vineyards and up the forest to the Schweizerhaus. (Only a few vehicles can manage this road up there). The forest hut is not connected to the supply network, so approximately 2,000 liters of fresh water must be refilled every week.

9 – 12 PM: Harvest Team Number Two begins work

Accompanied by senior manager Otmar Graf, three to five people are currently in harvest team number two. When the premium wines are ripe (all 100% hand-picked), up to 15 people are in the vineyard at the same time. Today, the pre-selection of the Pinot Gris and Saint Laurent grapes takes place. Specifically, this means: rotten clusters and unripe or bitten grapes are cut out to give the good grapes air.

9 - 12 PM: Weekly shopping & lunch preparation

Kristine Alcance buys all the fresh ingredients needed for the Filipino-Palatinate-Canadian dishes in the winery restaurant. In addition, she organizes all the ingredients for the buffet that was ordered for this evening at the Schweizerhaus. And, incidentally, she also cooks a warm lunch for the entire team. Today there's vegetable soup and Palatinate bratwurst with sauerkraut and mashed potatoes.

From 10 AM: Office Management

Now things are really busy for Jürgen. The winery is open to the public, online orders are prepared for shipping, wine orders are taken by phone, email, WhatsApp, and by shouting, bookings for wine tastings are coordinated, reservations for the winery restaurant are accepted, and visitors to the guest rooms and motorhome pitches come and go.

11 AM - 12 PM: Strategic Planning

Even during harvest season, a long-term perspective is immensely important. Today, Jürgen has his weekly meeting with his advertising agency. Ads are planned, trends are discussed, newsletters are developed, new ideas are considered, (international) trade fairs and social media presence are planned, and the online shop is constantly rethought, redeveloped, and supplemented with offers.

11 AM: Laboratory and Cellar Work

In the in-house wine laboratory, Peter checks the values of the grapes harvested the day before. Today, at the beginning of the harvest season, this is our grape juice, which consists of Müller-Thurgau, Kerner, and Regent grapes. In parallel, the yeast filter runs in the cellar, and yesterday's freshly pressed, naturally cloudy grape juices are pre-clarified.

Photo: Yeast filter for pre-clarifying grape musts

12 - 1 PM: Lunch Break!

Everyone takes a breather and enjoys Kristine's delicious food. Those who master the art of power naps retreat for a quick snooze. Internally, everyone hopes that no unannounced guests will arrive just as the steaming plates are placed on the table. After eating, don't forget the espresso and let's get back to it!

1 PM - 8 PM: Troubleshooting & Planning

Jürgen orchestrates everything and everyone in the background. Bookkeeping needs to be done (because the tax office doesn't consider harvest season), a delivery seems to have gone astray, and new closures and shipping cartons urgently need to be ordered. At the same time, Jürgen is the central point of contact, whether someone is absent at short notice, a machine breaks down, an ingredient urgently needs to be bought, or a straw bale falls over somewhere.

2 PM - 8 PM: Hustle and bustle in the kitchen

Kristine and her team cook like a whirlwind for the winery restaurant. Today there are 23 portions of spinach dumplings with mushroom sauce, 31 "Saumagen" burgers, and 42 tarte flambées (among many other dishes) – a total of 112 dishes.

2:30 PM – 4:30 PM: Pressing the juice

Back in the cellar, the break for the Sauvignon blanc grapes is over. The press is switched on again, and the juice is pressed.

See article - How the juice gets out of the grape.

3 PM: The winery restaurant team arrives

The team for the winery restaurant arrives and prepares everything according to Kristine's instructions: supplies are refilled (always from the back!), tables are prepared for reservations, fresh vegetables are chopped.

4 PM: The winery restaurant opens!

On weekends, our tables are almost always fully booked. Today, there's still a sunny spot free, inhabited only by a small lizard. However, it quickly disappears when another spontaneous group of visitors arrives.

5 - 5:30 PM: Harvest Team Two ends the day in the vineyard

Senior manager Otmar and his team return from the vineyard. But the work is not yet done, as the press, tools, and transporter must be cleaned. Everyone is sticky up to their ears. It takes quite a while to wash off the grape juice! Afterwards, there's a good glass of after-work wine during their get-together. Well deserved after a strenuous harvest day!

5 PM: Second harvest round in the vineyard

Now that the sun isn't beating down so hard, our early team, Peter & Dominik, starts their second shift. The harvester quickly works its way through the vines.

6:30 PM: The second harvest goal is achieved!

Another 4 tons of beautiful grapes lie in the trailer, sparkling in the evening sun.

6 – 9 PM: Grand Wine Tasting

Jürgen welcomes the group of guests who have booked a comprehensive "I want to know everything" wine tasting and explains everything they want to know about the wines they are currently tasting with great charm and background knowledge.

Until 7 PM: Unloading & Sorting

The second batch of Sauvignon blanc is carefully sorted at the winery and goes into the press. This allows the maceration period to begin.

8 PM – 10 PM: The kitchen closes

The last order is brought to the tables. Now it's time for a thorough cleaning of the kitchen and inventory as well as planning for the next day, so Kristine knows what she needs to buy in the morning.

9:30 PM: The winery restaurant closes

At the latest, the lights go out at 10:00 PM.

10 PM - 10:30 PM: Strategic planning for the next few days

Jürgen & Kristine create the daily plan and check what's coming up and who can take on which tasks.

10:30 PM: After-work wine

Everyone breathes a sigh of relief. A successful harvest day is done, and we are satisfied! The machines ran smoothly, there were no hitches, no delays, and the winery received a wonderful new review on Google.

12:30 AM: The second pressing begins

The maceration time of the second batch has ended. Now the pressing begins and runs until approximately 2:30 AM (thankfully automatically, because the next morning starts again at 4:30 AM for the early team).

So, this is our daily routine at the beginning of the harvest season. If the Weyher wine festival is also going on, everything is hysterically triple intense.

But at the end of October, we'll collapse on the sofa for a week and not move at all. ;-) Please excuse that this newsletter became so long. We were a little shocked ourselves by everything we accomplish daily in our family business. But it's good to keep that in mind from time to time... because often you take yourself and your own achievements for granted.

Photo: The freshly cleaned grape buckets await their next use.

We are grateful for our amazing team and everyone who makes us who we are.

Your hard-working Grafs

PS: Our 2025 vintage has been safely in our cellar since September 20, and our grape harvest is complete. Just in time before the big rain.