Sampling for Success $78 "Sampling for Success" Go from passive taster to active winemaker during the critical weeks leading up to harvest. This program demonstrates how field sampling, sugar accumulation tracking, and sensory evaluation dictate the exact day a vineyard is picked.This TASTE (Terrior, Artisanal, Small, Trusted, Engagement) experience showcases the fine line between scientific precision and artistic intuition.In the Rows Starting in designated estate blocks equipped with sampling bags and data sheets to collect a statistically representative field sample.The Randomization Challenge: Focusing on why picking the closest, most beautiful grape ruins data accuracy. We will walk a grid pattern, alternating sides of the row and selecting clusters from different canopy heights (top, middle, and shaded interior).The Representative Berry Count: Sampling individual berries from the top, shoulder, and tip of a single cluster. Highlighting that berries exposed to afternoon sun ripen differently than those facing north or buried behind leaves.The Composite Sample: Combining the collected berries into a single bag, gently crushing them by hand to create a homogeneous juice blend for testing.The Field LabIn this step we will transform raw field data into actionable winemaking metrics.Refractometer Calibration: Using both optical and digital refractometers we will calibrate the instruments using distilled water, showing how to read the Brix scale (sugar concentration).The Brix Reading: By placing drops of fresh juice onto the prism, we will record the sugar levels, learning that a single degree change in Brix can shift a wine's final potential alcohol level by roughly 0.5–0.6%.The Acid & pH Factor: A brief demonstration on sugar data is balanced against pH and titratable acidity (TA). While sugar acts as the engine for fermentation, natural acidity provides the wine's lifespan and freshness.September 5th, 202612PM-3PM$75 Includes vineyard picking decisions, sensory analysis, flight of finished wines from blocks we sampled.
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Core Four wines $15 A highlight of the "Core Four" that make's Schaad Cellars wines special. It will be a chance to taste and purchase wines that usually sell out before being offered to the public. Currently producing 750 cases of estate grown fruit from the Laurelwood district, we focus on Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay and Alsatian style white wines. With vines dating back to the early 1980's we offer a genuine experience from our storied perspective.This experience will take about an hour. Tasting fees will be comped with purchase of wine.
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Hedging for Exposure $77 “Hedging for Exposure" bridges the gap between viticultural science and sensory appreciation. Hedging is the precise trimming of excess vine growth to optimize sunlight penetration and airflow.This curated TASTE ( Terrior, Artisanal, Small, Trusted, Engagement) experience showcases how canopy management directly alters the chemistry and ultimate flavor profile of the wine.Guided Vineyard Walk We start our experience walking through a Vertical Shoot Positioned trellis system.The Unhedged Tunnel: First, we walk through an unhedged section where shoots are "flopping" over. We look inside to see how excessive shading turns interior leaves yellow and traps cool humidity—the perfect breeding ground for fungal issues.The Golden Hour Microclimate: Next we transition into the freshly hedged rows. I will demonstrate how trimming the shoots at a 90-degree angle opens up the fruiting zone. This allows dappled morning sunlight to dry the grapes and redirect the vine's photosynthetic energy from growing leaves into ripening the fruit.The Cool Climate Contrast: I will then explain the specific regional stakes. In cooler or more moderate regions like Oregon, precise VSP hedging is a balancing act: too little exposure leads to underripe, aggressively herbaceous tones, while over-hedging risks sun-scalding the fruit.Hands-On Interaction Next we will focus on an interactive, tangible connection to the labor required for premium winemaking.The 14th Internode Rule: We will all be armed with pruning shears. We will count the leaf nodes on a primary shoot, and learn why viticulturists often target the 12th to 14th node to maintain an optimal leaf-to-cluster ripening ratio.Tactile Canopy Shaping: We then begin by manually tucking stray shoots into the catch wires or mimicking a precise "top and side" trim on a designated demonstration vine. You will clearly see how immediate geometry influences air movement and light infiltration.The final component is a blending trial where you leave with a wine you blend.
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Vigneron for the day $103 "The Vigneron for a Day" The flagship vineyard and cellar experience places you directly into the high-stakes world of a winemaker during the peak of harvest. This program transitions folks from the field to the crush pad, giving them raw, tactile access to every step of production from vine to tank.This intensive experience commands premium attention to detail and is a high-touch, small-group masterclass.Early bird gets the grapeWe begin in the morning when ambient temperatures are low, protecting the fruits chemistry and keeping the grapes crisp.Wine starts in the Vineyard: Equipped with harvest shears and picking buckets we will hand harvest fruit for fermentation. Guiding you on field-sorting protocol: clipping only clean, ripe clusters while dropping sunburned, dehydrated, or mold-affected fruit directly onto the ground.Many Hands Make Light Work: Working as a group to fill a traditional 1/2-ton macro-bin. This provides a physical understanding of the immense labor and rapid pacing required to clear a vineyard block before the afternoon heat sets in.Crush Pad PrecisionMoving the harvested fruit across the estate for destemming, to experience the final line of quality control before fermentation.MOG Patrol: Working as a group along a vibrating sorting table we will be removing "Material Other than Grapes" (MOG), including stems, leaves, and under ripe/over ripe fruit.Destemming versus Crushing: Here we evaluate how the destemmer separates berries from the rachis. Inspecting the output to evaluate the balance of whole berries versus crushed fruit entering the fermentation vessel.Wine Is MagicTransition into the fermentation cellar to manage active, bubbling fermentations using two primary methods of cap management. Punchdowns:Homogenizing the fermenter after crushing and while initially fermenting is critical to fermentation kinetics. September 19th, 20269AM-4PM $100 per person includes Lunch, complimentary tour and tasting of estate wines.
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