At Eagles Nest Vineyards & Winery, "Crush" is the time of the year when we begin to pick the grapes off the vines and start the process of turning those grapes into the premium Eagles Nest Winery wines we enjoy. The term "Crush" is a busy time of the year in the Ramona Valley AVA.

The year round process of growing grapes and making the wine culminates in the Crush. It is a time when the sugar levels in the grapes reach the correct brix level to begin the wine making process. It is a time of the year when we wish we could capture in a spray can the heavenly aromas of the crush season.

During Crush, Eagles Nest Vineyards & Winery welcomes the influx of friends and family whom come together in the celebration of the crush. This is a magical time of the year in the ongoing cycle of winemaking.

Crush
All grapes at Eagles Nest Vineyard & Winery are hand picked ideally in the cool pre-dawn hours. Once the grapes arrive at the Winery, the grapes are immediately crushed and the must placed in our cool fermentation building. If the grapes were picked mid-day, we [place them in cold storage to cool them down and crush the following cool morning hours. Our crusher/destemmer removes the leaves and the stems and then gently crushes the grapes. This process is done as gently as possible, we want to crush just enough to break the skins but not the grape seeds, and allow the juice to be released into the fermentation bin.

Once the grapes are crushed and are in the fermentation bin, primary fermentation begins, where carefully selected yeast is paired with the grape varietal and desired wine to be made. The yeast breaks down the natural grape sugars into ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide (CO2) gas, and heat is released (exothermic). Red wine fermentations are done at a temperature up to approximately 85° Fahrenheit for a period of 7-10 days. White wine grape fermentations are done at cooler temperatures and for additional time to preserve delicate fruit characteristics.

After fermentation, the red wines are pressed, and the grape skins along with the seeds are then separated from the wine. The skins, seeds and dead yeast cells are called "pomace". Since Eagles Nest Vineyard & Winery practices sustainable farming, the pomace is used to fertilize the vineyards. Often during the crush season, you will see the pomace between the rows of the vineyards before it is tilled into the soil.

Post Fermentation
After fermentation, Eagles Nest Vineyard & Winery places the wines into poly barrels to allow settling. After the skins, seeds, yeast and other particles settle to the bottle of the barrel (creating the lees), the wine is then pumped into another poly barrel for an additional settling process. Again, since Eagles Nest Vineyards & Winery practices sustainable farming, we use the "lees" as fertilizer for our vineyards and the Cottage landscaping.

Malolactic Fermentation
At Eagles Nest Vineyard & Winery, some of the red wines are subjected to malolactic fermentation. Our winemaker Dennis, relies on natural processes in our oak barrels, or when necessary, adds specific bacterium to the wine that breaks down the malic acid in the wine into lactic acid. This secondary fermentation can give the wine a rounder, fuller mouthfeel described as an almost creamy, buttery taste and texture.

Aging
Eagles Nest Vineyard & Winery ages our wines in natural Oak barrels to ensure a quality product.

Eagles Nest Winery & Cottage is a member of the San Diego County Vintner's Association.

More information is available at http://www.sandiegowineries.org/wineries/eagles-nest.html and

San Diego Wine Country http://www.sandiegowinecountry.com/Wineries/EaglesNestWinery/eaglesNestWinery.htm