Rain, Rain, Please Don't Go Away.

Just a cat I found on my front porch, hiding from the rain.

Rainy Wednesday for us over in the Barossa.  Other vintages I have worked, rain is a huge deal and they try to get as much fruit in as possible to avoid bunch rots and berry splitting etc.  On the up side, it slows down the crushing.  We received fruit on the rainy day, but the next day, a beautiful day at that, there was no crushing in sight.  The mechanical harvesters would not be able to get through the vineyards, and the rain would have lowered the sugars of the grapes.  Therefore, we got a relaxing day! It was nice to catch out breath.  The previous days were pretty busy; I was running around all day with very little time to relax.  Tuesday, I sat down to lunch at 1:30 and at 1:40 my supervisor came in, in a panic, asking me to save her.  It just all of a sudden got busy so I helped, duh.  Then Wednesday I sat down for lunch at 2pm.  Now, if I was not starting at 5 am this would not be so weird, but I start at 5, so it is tough.  The lull of a day helped us to sit back, take a deep breath, and clean all the stuff that had been neglected during the 2 weeks of 24 hour shifts.

I did get a chance to talk to the winemaker, Toby, about how the rain affected things.  He did not seemed to stressed about it at all.  In the Barossa, bunch rot, such as Botrytis, is not a big issue.  The grapes that are still out on the vines can handle a rain or two. If there were a few more big storms coming, there would be a lot more of an issue.  But this storm was not a big deal...PHEW.

On the forecast of harvest, we have crushed about 2000 tonnes and have 700 more or so to go.  The end is in sight, and so soon too.  I feel it was yesterday that we had our first grape samples! Now, we are about to see our last?!!?! Crazy talk.  Time flies when you are working hard, and having fun :)

M.O.G.

MOG is stuff that is found in the crusher that is not grapes: Material Other that Grapes.  There is a good amount of this found in the crusher, especially when the fruit is mechanically harvested.  I don't usually have first hand experience with them, but sometimes I am told about it so I can check it out.  The other morning I did have some MOG in a grape sample that was left for me...I did not like this MOG one bit, a HUGE huntsman spider. So not cool at 5:30 in the morning. SO not cool.

A common MOG is lizards.  Quentin found one the other day and I got to hold it!! I was scared but felt that if they (the boys) were able to hold it, why couldn't I....so i conjured up the balls and held the good sized lizard.

On Sunday, Quentin found a dead rat...eeew! Today, there was an injured owl.  I don't know what else will be found throughout the rest of harvest, but I hope not anything crazy.  There was a story going around that a winery found a kangaroo in their grapes. How that kangaroo got in unnoticed is a mystery, but its fun to think weird things like that can actually happen.

5 A.M.s

The last two weeks we have been working double two shifts for the day.  The permanents work from 3am to 3pm, or 3pm to 3am.  The interns work 5am-3pm or 2:30pm to 12:30am.  It is not too bad once you are accustom to waking up and sleeping at odd hours.  I try to go to be at 8:30pm and wake up around 4am or 4:25 depending on how confident I am at getting ready.  Bec, my supervisor goes to be around 5 or 6pm and wakes up around 2am.  I have no idea what the arvo (afternoon) shift does in terms of sleeping, but they do what they do.

I have been getting used to waking up in the 4 o'clock hour and respecting Ali Chabot for doing it most through college to work at the airport.  This morning, for some reason, I did not succeed at what I have been for the last 2 weeks!! I woke up, went back to sleep, and woke up at 4:50 when my carpool arrived...SHIT!  I got ready in RECORD time, t minus a minute and a half (so proud).  Sadly, when I got to work everyone was commenting on how "tired" I looked, basically saying I do not look great when I have just woken up.  What ever, shit happens.

Anywho, mornings at St. Hallett are not that bad.  I enjoy working in the morning with my co-worker/supervisor Bec.  We calibrate all the equipment and recently have gone on morning bike rides to collect samples and get a little "workout" in.  While biking around you are able to say hi to all the cellar people out cleaning tanks or presses, or even crushing fruit.  It is way more lively at 5am than one would expect, probably more so when everyone has had their fixing, may it be coffee, tea or some other form of a start up.

Here are some morning pictures:

Morning Bike Ride

Beau doing pump overs...

Chris pressing some red skins

Bec collecting a sample from a RS analysis

Paul keeping the crusher awesome

The totally amazing sunrise that makes 5am not so bad

The Wrong Side Done Right

On Valentine's Day Carissa and I wanted to show the "arvo" shift some love, so we baked them some cookies! One challenge was how to get to and fro to bake the cookies and deliver them.  Thankfully, Kim was nice enough to lend us her car.  The next challenge was out of the 2 American's involved in the situation, who was going to drive.  I got my "international drivers permit" in America so I was ready to take on the challenge.

The first step was a but sketchy, but i got into the right side of the car. Next, putting the car in a gear.  I definitely stroked the door a few times looking for the shifter.  After I found the shifter, I had to find the gas pedal!! Wait, it was in the same spot. TRICKSTERS!!  I finally made it out onto the road and headed towards Nuri.  The biggest problem I had was that I had no idea how big the left side of the car was.  I had no concept of how far or close I was to parked cars or pedestrians or trees.  The next issue was turning into a driveway.  I had to stay on the left most lane to turn into the left most side. It makes sense when I say it like that, but in reality it is way more of a challenge.

I was very happy that Kim was able to trust me with her car.  I did not ding it and I was able to return it to her in perfect conditions.  Go me.

I FORGOT TO SAY: the blinker and windshield wipers are placed on the opposite side than in America.  So when I would want to turn left or right, I would signal via windshield wipers.  And if it were to rain, I am sure I would have taken the water off with the blinkers....

Buggin' Out

There is a difference between spiders in America and Australia.  The small spiders in Australia are the big spiders in America.  If I were to see an Australian spider in America I would have sprinted to China.  They are seriously huge.

The other day, I was in the lab and lifted my boot box to find a spider just chilling in a nook under the box. At first glance I thought it was a fake spider, it was that big.  I just looked at it and shreeked to my co-workers "Is this real/alive?"  I proceeded to blow on it; it was very much alive.  I shreeked again and ran away.  Kim came to the rescue with ethanol and papertowels and a shoe (on her foot).  It was so scary that it could have gone into my shoes!!!

My house has been pretty clear of bugs.  There are mosquitoes and flies. A couple times I found earwigs and daddy long legs.  I thought I saw a white tip once in the bathroom, so I got Sarah to kill it.  I also thought I saw a red back, so I sprayed it with a whole-lot-a raid. It is dead.

I don't know how I would be able to handle a huntsman in my room though as my fellow American friend Carissa did.  It was on her wall and ceiling for a few days!!!! NO WAY I would have done that. Not a chance in hell.  

Freaking HUGE spider out on the pumps in the Tank Farm.

Family Time

Mum (mom) and Dad visited this weekend.  It was nice to see some familiar faces in Australia.  I have only been meeting new people, so meeting up with people from home was a good change of pace.  They got to listen to all my work stories and live my life for a few days.

We went to 3 great dinners, thanks to recommendations by my roommate Sophie and co-worker Kim.  I had a pizza with relish on it one night, then some Kangaroo the second night! I will say, I was not too impressed by Kangaroo, but I am happy that I tried it to say I have eaten it.  We also went wine tasting...A LOT of wine tasting.  Yalumba was the first stop, then Penfolds, Jacob's Creek and Chateau Tanunda.  Every winery had so many wines to taste.  Thank got the three of us shared all the tastings unless we would not have survived the day.  My dad did get us to try the Grange wine at Penfolds.  He is very proud to say that he tasted it since it is a very expensive wine, but good, so worth it to him.

Now the parentals are down in Glenelg/Adelaide to experience some beach time.  They are thoroughly impressed by the Australian sky, so I hope they get a great sunset on the beach.  It is seriously the best place to watch a sunset!

What the Time Fly?!?!

View from the top of the tanks at St. Hallett

I have been here for a month!! I left one month ago.  How the HELL did time go so fast.  I came to the realization yesterday (Feb 14th) that time is flying.  I instantly got sad.  I have been having so much fun in Australia that I had no idea that the trip was already a third of the way done.  I have not had any count downs or break downs.  In the beginning of my trip I kept saying "I am not homesick now, but ask me in a month." Well…I am still not home sick! 

After having my mini freak out I realized that two months is still a long time.  give or take 60 days.  I also figured that my visa for here is a year visa, so if I genuinely don't want to leave, I have a few more months to bask in the Australian culture.  

It is weird though.  I don't feel like I am too far from home while being here.  I speak the same-ish language and nothing is crazy.  Most "crazy" things are just a little different, like eating Kangaroo or not having a clothes dryer.  Maybe in another month I will be begging to return home to America, but then again, I will probably blink and it will be towards the end of March. 

Old Fashion

We recently went to two shift days: morning shift 5:00am-3:00pm and avo (afternoon) 2:30-12:30.  This means that harvest is starting up and the winery is getting busier.  Today, was not that kind of day.  Today was a very relaxed, easy going, almost (but not because St. Hallett is awesome) boring.

Towards the end of my shift, the winemaker, Jeremy, came over and said I could get a chance to foot squash some grapes!! In my minimal years of winemaking, I have never gotten a chance so I was all for it.  More people than not at St. Hallett are scared to use their bare feet.  I guess 3 years ago they did foot stomping and ended up with yeast infections on their legs...eew.  I decided to go for it any way and squish away!!

The grapes were Tempranillo grapes that had been in a cold room for almost a week.  The grapes were VERY cold (feet=freezing) so hopefully the yeast were all asleep and not trying to infect me.  In the end we all had fun and felt like bad asses.

Ballin'

Genetics are supposed to be passed down through generations and such but it does not alway work out the same.  Take my dad and his father for an example: grandpa=athletic, dad=puts in great effort.  So the theory of the family was the athleticism "skipped" a generation and my sister and I acquired the agility and talent. NOT. My grandpa was a solid basketball player from what I hear, but I question this after playing a game of basketball with my fellow Aussies.  

IF I were naturally talented at the game, I most likely would not have let an 8 year old, 4 foot 4 girl pack me.  I went to shoot the ball, and somehow her unnaturally long arms got a part of the ball.  Also if I were naturally talented at basketball, I probably would not shoot the ball WAY to high, or not even close to the basket.  

This may not be enough to convince you that I am awful at basketball.  But, my conclusion is this: basketball is either not passed through genetics OR if it is, (sorry grandpa) but it was never there to begin with.  

In the end, I had a lot of fun.  My team was getting really competitive towards the end and even a little feisty to counter the small child on the other team.  I hope I will be able to do this again! And I look super sexy in a basketball jersey...

Thrift Shop

Score on a South Australia, Barossa Valley sweatshirt at the thrift shop. 

 I was singing Macklemore all the way home!

Angaston Farmers

Every Saturday from 7:30 to 11:30 am there is a farmers market in a town called Angaston.  I was able to go this Saturday and meander around. (Hint: whilst meandering, stay on the left side of the aisle, we didn't and caused some traffic jams)  The farmers was not as big as it is in SLO but it was cheaper than some grocery stores and with fresher produce so that was exciting.  There was also an array of chutney.  I did not know it was such a big thing, but half the stands were chutney stands.

There were more common foods like capsicums (bell peppers), summer fruits and some veggies.  The carrots were colored! So cool yet intimidating at the same time.  I even saw a purple capsicum...that was weird.

I think I want to go to this every weekend now.  It is a good way to get out and feel like you are helping out the Barossa area and eat semi healthy, nom.

Cash Money

Australian money is super cool!! American money is all green and all the same size (boring).  Australian money does not have a dollar bill, but they have dollar coins and two dollar coins.  My first question with that was "How do you tip strippers?"  I mean I don't know if I would want to put coins in strippers' nooks and cranies and giving them a bunch of $5 bills would be rather expensive.  Interesting thought right? Well I asked around and found out at some strip clubs you buy "stripper dollars" and you give them to the stripper who then exchanges it for money at the end of the night.
Other than that hurdle with Australian money, it is pretty cool.  Both sides of the money have different pictures. I am not sure who the people are but it is interesting.  Each bill also has a little plastic see through part on a corner.  I have also tried to rip the money...doesn't work!! It is plastic.  So interesting. I hope you are just as excited as I am about this.

Laundry

As a fellow co-worker put it "Americans, they use the dryer; the rest of the world hangs their clothes."  All over Australia I have noticed big drying racks in back yards, on apartment roofs, and near dorms.  I knew they were for drying clothes, but it didn't hit me till now, that I will have to be using these for the remainder of my trip.  I made it two weeks without doing laundry, but, with my shortage of underwear, I had to do it.

Buying detergent was standard, smelling through to get the best smell for the best price.  Then loading the washer, again, standard; splitting the clothes into lights and darks.  Starting the washer, normal.  Unloading the washer, typical.  Hanging the clothes, holy balls I don't even know.  At first attempt I didn't use clothes hanging clips because they were not out on the line and the one item out there was not using it.  So I told my self that it was ok.  I returned outside to hang my second load…clothes on the ground (dirt) and all bunched up on the lines.  I found the clips and secured my clothes to what I felt was ok.  My fear at this point was some underwear flying off the clothes line, into my neighbors back yard and him having to return them to me; I hung them inside to avoid that humorous and mortifying situation (my neighbor is the St. Hallett mechanic).  

The next day I found the clothes still hanging on the lines.  None of them made it over to the neighbors (thank god).

I did do some sheets and towels on Wednesday, hung them, then it rained Thursday…just my luck.