The first autumn rains hit the Bay Area Monday, leaving some North Bay winemakers scrambling to get their grapes in as the first drops fell.
Under a sky thick with dark clouds, winemaker James Hall of Patz & Hall wine company in Sonoma, is all smiles.
“With this pinot noir vineyard,” Hall said. “I am essentially in the barn, so hallelujah.”
Hall stands in front of stacks of white plastic crates brimming with silvery blue grapes. The grape clusters spill onto a sorting table, then through a de-stemmer. Hall said he got this final batch in at 4 a.m., which means his workers picked through Sunday night.
“They’re heroes,” Hall said.