In mid-May, I was invited to  Fielding Hills Winery, a small family-run vineyard located in the hills of East Wenatchee , and had the opportunity to help bottle their 2006 Tribute.

Overlooking the Columbia River and Wenatchee community, owners Mark & Karen Wade, planted grapes near their orchard in spring of 1998 and their first crop debuted in 2000. In Mark’s words:

“The origin of Fielding Hills Winery began in 1919 when my grandfather, Isham Fielding Wade set off to find his place in the world. Settling in Eastern Washington, he started a family and a trade, both tied to cultivating the land. The winery name is a tribute to him and the character qualities he lived. I believe his legacy is found in each glass of Fielding Hills wine.

Today, as I look at our family vineyards and enjoy the resulting wine, I think he would approve. My desire is to be closely connected to the wines of Fielding Hills, from the land to the glass.

Land, family and time-honored winemaking methods have produced truly satisfying wines of exceptional character, structure and varietal expression.”

As for my experience at FHW last month, I had no idea what to expect, and jumped at the chance to help when invited by Karen. I enjoy wine and want to learn more about the process, so why not? It turned out to be a gorgeous day (sunny and 90’s), and as I turned the corner I spotted a group of folks enjoying themselves outside a garage- not your typical tasting room. The first shift had finished up and the volunteers were enjoying snacks and wine at a picnic table. Inside, the second shift was gearing up to begin as Mark and Karen welcomed friends and family anxious to help. From start to finish, 6-7 people assisted with the following tasks:

1. Depalletising- brand new empty wine bottles are removed from the original pallet packaging delivered from a manufacturer. Get them ready to fill with wine.

2. Inject some carbon dioxide into each bottle to reduce the level of oxygen in the bottle (this helps to preserve the wine and prevent unwanted fermentation in the bottle).

3. Each bottle is set into a filler which fills the bottle  with just the right amount of wine… no spills. The filler used at FHW could accommodate 6 bottles at a time so I had to move fast.

4. The bottle is handed to someone running a corker, where a cork is compressed and pushed into the neck of the bottle, sealing the fine wine until the consumer is ready to enjoy.

5. After filling and corking, a plastic or tin capsule is applied to the neck of the bottle in a capsular.

6. Next the bottle enters a labeling machine where a label is applied.

7. Finally, we carefully packed the wine into boxes, ready to be sold.

I was assigned to the bottling machine, which I found to be lots of fun and a great way to strengthen your biceps (repetitive movement with full wine bottles in hand). Throughout the afternoon, I was able to sample a handful of wines from the barrel, including the 2006 Tribute, which is my favorite.

Also, I didn’t realize how advanced the machinery involved in the process would be, the process was very clean and efficient, with just the right amount of involvement for everyone who was there to help. If you ever get a chance to help out with bottling, I highly recommend it as a fun learning experience and a chance to be a part of the wineries community.

If you’re interested in reading more, The Wenatchee World posted a feature story on the winery and their bottling process. Also, to view pictures from the bottling, visit here.