Fighting the burnout
Having just taken a face shot of 6% SO2 in addition to being sticky and sweaty, this was one of the days I questioned my line of work. It comes around every year, approximately the same time of year give or take a couple weeks, and yet it still surprises how often during harvest you just want to go home and let someone else manage the next fruit receival or pumpover.
Workplace stretching, equipment ergonomics, and all that jazz are fine, though I think the team you work with and the atmosphere is the most critical. When you’re tired and worn-out, working next to a prick or a pal makes a huge difference. Why go through such effort if you dislike everyone around you. Unfortunately creating a fun working environment during harvest requires effort and an example has to be set from the top. A winemaker sitting behind the computer all day entering work orders and never bothering to set foot in the cellar breeds resentment and cavalier attitudes that can result in “custom blends” and less than stellar MOG removal.
One of my favorite harvest memories centers on a confined space environment and alcohol consumption. While the “culprit” shall remain nameless and I’m never an advocate for drinking while you’re on the job as it can result in serious injuries to yourself or others, not to mention damage to product and equipment, but since I’ve got that safety disclosure out of the way… I’m in the belly of a 250HL Bucher bladder press, cleaning out the remnants of a Russian River Chardonnay load when I hear a rapping on the hull of the press. A recognizable voice bellows to me from down below, “Get out of there, we just hit 1,000 tons for the harvest.” I peel myself out of the press and walk to the office where the cellar crew all have Irish Car Bombs (LINK) lined up in front of them. We all celebrated the crush milestone by jugging down the delicious elixir fast enough to not let the Baileys curdle next to the Guinness. Then the order came, “Get back in there” and finish cleaning the press. Again, while I don’t recommend or condone such activities, it certainly build comradery amongst the ranks and made the harvest a little more bearable.
So my suggestion, for whoever my be interested, is focus on highlighting the wins, take time to celebrate with the team, acknowledge the “pisser” that is a long day of work, and then find a safe and responsible way to show the cellar crew you appreciate them.
