Fermentation Destination

Perhaps the most famous season in Sonoma County is of course – wine harvest! August through October, sometimes into November, winemaking teams are in the vines all hours of the day and night checking on their grapes to determine when they are ready to be picked. Many factors go into this critical decision; brix (or sugar levels of the grapes), varietal, weather forecasts, and desired characteristics from the winemaker. Harvest crews usually pick at night when it’s cool, to keep the grapes intact with less breakage. Tasting rooms may invite people in to see how they crush the grapes, enjoy grape stomping, and the winemaking team is usually around daily to get the grapes destemmed, pressed, and into their fermentation vessels. Depending on the varietal and desired flavors, the juice can then be stored in stainless steel tanks or oak barrels for fermentation. Different oaks add different flavors, and some can withstand longer aging periods. Fermentation and aging can be anywhere from 1-5 years until that wine finally gets bottled to enjoy.

Another one of our amazing neighbors practices regenerative farming and organic, sustainable practices in their winemaking. DaVero Farms & Winery is a living farm winery that began its roots with olive oil. They realized the potential and added Italian grapevines, then expanded to fruit trees, gardens, citrus, lavender, other produce, and a host of wildlife—pigs, hawks, songbirds, rabbits, butterflies, turkeys, deer, foxes, and more. Today, the farm is a vibrant, living organism with pollinator gardens, edible gardens, olive groves, fruit orchards, and vineyards.

Wine press gently squeezes out juice from the grapes

DaVero’s harvest teams reports, “Our best pace in years after the challenging 2022 and slow late 2023. We’re seeing great quality fruit in both quality and yield size, making it a winemaker’s dream pace. With our new team—Jared Minori as Farm Manager and Cary as Associate Winegrower—they’ve had a fantastic vintage to kick off at DaVero. We’ve harvested 100% of our estate fruit, and next week we’ll be receiving the last of our biodynamic partner grower grapes!”

We are lucky enough to have DaVero at our upcoming Locals Night on October 16th! Taste their artisanal olive oil and wines and join us as we celebrate the local ecosystem that is building a future we can be proud of.

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At Osmosis, shared vision, right livelihood, and meaningful work are the cornerstones of our community-building efforts. We believe that cultivating strong relationships—both with our guests and among our team—creates a deep sense of connection that forms the heart of our sanctuary. By nurturing this sense of family within our staff, we add a unique and authentic dimension to the experience we provide. When our team feels supported, connected, and inspired, it flows naturally into the warmth, care, and attentiveness that we offer every guest who enters our doors.

This family feel is what makes Osmosis more than just a place to work; it’s a place to grow, support one another, and thrive together – all while providing an opportunity for healing and relaxation to our many valued guests.

Here’s to many more experiences that strengthen our community and create lasting memories!