Dear Friends,
The 2022 harvest is upon us, and in what’s becoming a bit of an annual tradition, here’s my
list of ten fun facts and bits of wisdom for the 2022 harvest season!

1. 2022 is my 12th vintage with MacRostie Winery and the 17th vintage of my career. Time flies!
2. One of my favorite things about harvest is the smell of a really fresh, newly inoculated
   Chardonnay fermentation—I wish someone would make it into a perfume so more people
   could smell it… beautiful!
3. For every 1 hour of wine work during harvest, there are about 3 hours of cleaning.
4. If a winemaker ever tells you to punch down a 100% whole cluster fermenter of Pinot Noir,
   then that winemaker has never been the one to punch down a bin of 100% whole cluster
   grapes—it’s impossible.
5. Grapes wait for no one. They are ready when they are ready.
6. It’s a tossup as to what is consumed in the largest quantity on any given day during harvest:
   coffee, water, or beer.
7. 1.3 tons of Pinot Noir do not all fit in a 1.25-ton fermenter. Don’t consider it, don’t think about
   it—it won’t fit, no matter how much you want it to.
8. When it comes to cleaning out a press, grape seeds are your mortal enemy.
9. “It always gets done” – whatever the day hands you, no matter how big the task, or how
   long you think it will take, it gets done.
10. Trust your palate!

May our efforts here at MacRostie in the 2022 growing season bring joy to your table for
many, many years to come!

Happy harvest!

HEIDI BRIDENHAGEN
Winemaker – MacRostie Winery and Vineyards