I am convinced time spent in harvest is equivalent to dog years.

Firstly, so much happens in a day that it makes a mockery of a normal, unsuspecting 24 hours.

Secondly, each day zooms by- as I assume a dog's does- as it is filled with new, exciting things. [If you are a city-slicker wine geek who secretly loves doing manual labour, that is.]

Clean some tanks! *pant pant* Crush some grapes! *tail wag* Drive heavy machinery! *tail thwap* Test the juices! *slurp* Repeat! *woof woof*

Grape skins post pressing.

This week was full of much of the same routines, with some added fun. It began with a lesson in the realities of winemaking.

When does one pick grapes? When the sugar, acid, pH and taste are perfectly balanced, of course! The trouble is pesky Aussie boots- Rossi is my brand of choice- tend to rudely stomp on this pretty little grape shaped bubble.

There are inconveniences like not enough tanks to process everything when you'd like to... or the pickers only available certain days...or a broken truck... or in our case, a terrible dose of weather threatening to ruin everything.

With harvest going well and the northern, warmer vineyards picked, this week was meant to be a break from crushing, allowing the grapes time to achieve their peak ripeness. However, with 40-80 mm of expected rain for Tuesday, many riper grapes were under threat.

Ominous fog hanging over Riesling vines.

Riper Riesling grapes corespond to thinner skins, which are vulnerable to splitting in a downpour. Split grapes become rotten and shriveled. Beyond the lost split grapes, the winemaker must then wait at least 2 weeks to let the affected grapes dry out or else risk a few rotten grapes may spoil the juice. This waiting time may lead to overripe grapes, with their own host of problems.

With this in mind, Andrew Mitchell along with winemaker Simon went through each vineyard deciding which parcels had the least to gain in flavour and the most to lose in a downpour. Those grapes were picked in a flash Monday, the day spent crushing a ton- well, actually a couple- of Riesling grapes.

Rain did indeed come on Tuesday, but thankfully much less than expected. The rain did however stir up the Portugese millipede population serving to terrify the pathetic Canadian, much to the amusement of the locals.

Post rain garden party!

The rest of the week was spent cleaning, crushing, and netting the McNicol Riesling block, a cooler-vineyard that produces the Mitchell's top white wine. The cooler temperature, means slower ripening- good for grapes, but also good for starling birds, who have that much longer to eat them!

To help the birds stave off diabetes, row upon row of Riesling is netted with the help of a tractor. The tractor lays the net, while two workers walk behind to clip the net in place. Improving from last week's forklift driving, I learned to drive a tractor. A big, honking tractor!

Needless to say, I am endlessly impressed with myself. What is less impressive are the giant spiders lurking between rows that have prompted me to carry a spider stick that I futiliy swap at thick webs.

With disastor averted and sunny skies in the forecast all next week, we should be back to normal soon. See: busy, crushing machines. Before the rush, it's a long weekend here in Australia and time to flee the tiny town of Clare for the big city lights of Adelaide!

What do you get when you combine over 50 of the world's best winemakers, their finest wines, delicious food, and a great cause? An event that makes the average wine tasting seem, well… average.

We are delighted to announce the return of the Lifford Grand Tasting, May 11th, 2011.

The tasting showcases a portfolio we are proud to represent- we didn't win the esteemed VINTAGES Portfolio Award of Excellence for nothing you know!

With each tasting more finely tuned than the previous, we can safely guarantee that this Grand Tasting will be nothing short of stellar.

In 2009, we had a record number of winemakers/winery principals attend, 45 in total with well over 250 wines. This year we are planning for our best event yet and hope that you will join us at our new venue, Artscape Wychwood Barns, a historical, industrial architectural landmark turned urban Arts and Community Centre in the heart of the city.

You will be pleased that many of your favourite wineries are returning to Toronto and at this moment, we have confirmation from over 50 of them. We expect more. Some big names, and famous wines, along with many gems to discover.

The list includes:

Argentina

Alessandro Speri Winery, Finca Decero, Humberto Canale

Australia

Brokenwood Wines, Hollick Wines, Mitchell Winery, Mitolo Wines

British Columbia

JoieFarm Winery, Painted Rock Estate Winery

California

Au Bon Climat, Cakebread Cellars, Diamond Creek Vineyards, Francis Ford Coppola, Freestone Vineyards, Heitz Wine Cellars, Ironstone Vineyards, Joseph Phelps Vineyards, Lyeth, Rubicon Estate

Chile

Vina Echeverria, Vina La Rosa, Vina Sena

France

Bruno Paillard, Chateau du Trignon, Compagnie Medocaine des Grands Crus, Domaine de Nalys, Domaine des Senechaux, Domaine Paul Zinck, Maison Louis Jadot, Joseph Mellot, Laurent Miquel

Italy

Ca' del Bosco, Cabert, Castel Giocondo, Castello di Pomino, Colpertrone, Elena Walch, Fattoria del Cerro, Fattoria di Felsina, Garofoli, Gigi Rosso, Il Borro, Il Poggione, La Poderina, Pio Cesare, Saiagricola, Speri

New Zealand

Craggy Range Winery, Staete Landt Vineyard

Ontario

Malivoire Wine Company

Oregon

Amity Vineyards

Spain

Bodegas Pinord, Telmo Rodriguez

Washington

K Vitners, Charles Smith Wines

Each winery will be showing their best. You do not want to miss this tasting!

All proceeds will benefit Delisle Youth Services.

For additional information please call Lifford at 416-440-4101.

Tickets: $150, available online here

Date: May 11, 2011

Time: 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm

Place: Artscape Wychwood Barns

601 Christie St. (at St. Clair)

What a difference a week makes.

Most importantly, I most certainly have had a beer or two and maybe a glass of Riesling before writing this weekly report. Having spent more and more time with cellar hands, I could hardly speak for the lot if my blood alcohol level was any lower on a Friday night during harvest.

Speaking of which, crush has begun at Mitchell and completely changed the daily duties and feel of the place. Last week I spent cleaning, cleaning, cleaning, making a couple thousand boxes, and cleaning some more. To put it lightly, I was bored stupid and lamenting days of yore where I could roam twitter - no cell service for a gen-y is physically painful; "BUT I MUST INSTAGRAM THIS NOW!" is a verbal twitch I am working with a local therapist to break.

As soon as grapes arrived, the winery was charged with energy.

No longer were we cleaning just to clean, we were cleaning for the grapes that we could see, touch and taste.

With pace at the winery now nudged to full speed ahead- and the controller broken  for the next 2 months- it's fair to say I have learned a heap of skills this week. I'd hope so with 12 hour days becoming the norm.

First up was cleaning & scrubbing 101, each morning commencing with 2 to 2.5 hours of cleaning pumps, pipes, the crusher, and anything else that contacts the grapes. This cleaning process is done in three parts first pumping through a caustic solution to remove grime, a citric solution to neutralize pH and a dash of sulphur to kill any lurking bacteria, plus a lot of water in between.

I've heard the expression "it takes a lot of water to make good wine" before, but it really takes a lot of water.  A LOT OF WATER. Taps are constantly spraying and soaking, and if I am the one doing the spraying that soaking may include a fellow employee or two. Oops!... again.

After everything is squeaky clean- literally the pumps that help to clean our hoses squeak incessantly- the grapes hit the crusher.

How do those grapes hit the crusher? I'm so glad you asked!

Over the past five days I have a new accreditation to my name: Nicole Emma Campbell the IV, Bachelor of Visual Arts, Forklifing.

To those of you who grew up on a farm or work with forklifts my obsession and obscene excitement over forking about grapes and skins is ridiculous. I gleefully skip to the machine never more excited to dump compost into a rusting truck.

After the grapes are (lovingly) dumped by forklift they head to the destemmer, before being chilled through a set of hoses ending in a press. Once pressed, the Riesling grapes make their way to stainless steel tanks where they will ferment.

Along with pressing, each day also includes trips to the surrounding vineyards where a random sample of bunches are cut. Bunches are then crushed by hand- so that's where my hand bruises came from!- before being tested in the lab for sugar, acid and pH. Results, along with taste and the weather report, determine which blocks will be picked when.

Although the days are (disturbingly) long, I am finding the winery full of small joys. The first being the speakers wired throughout the facility, through which I inflict my music on all. The second being the all-powerful shaman, the espresso machine.

Next week will be the start of reds, beckoning in a whole new set of tasks and their associated wine stains.

During the 4 months I lived in Bordeaux and worked for negotiant Compagnie Medocaine, I often day dreamed of walking the vineyard instead of translating French tasting notes and editing labels.

The great outdoors! To tend the grapes! A couple days working at wineries like Pichon Longueville and Petit Village only encouraged my misguided fantasies. I rolled a barrel! I’d tell my impressed friends. I added egg whites and everything! I expounded, showing off more than anything.

You can only imagine my excitement at heading to Australia early February to work harvest at Mitchell Winery in Clare Valley. It started off innocently enough with a 2 week tour of Australia and New Zealand visiting McLaren Vale, Coonawarra, the Yarra Valley, Barossa, Marlborough and Hawkes’ Bay- amongst other places. Amazing wines, people, meals and sights were had.

After two weeks of non-stop eating and drinking it was a relief to arrive back in Clare Valley to begin my first ever wine harvest with the Mitchells. Mitchell winery- began in 1975 by husband and wife team Andrew and Jane Mitchell- is a family estate producing consistently excellent wine. Accolades include the Penguin Wine of the Year in 2003, a consistent 5 star rating in James Halliday’s Wine Companion and inclusion in the Financial Times Top 20 Wines of the World and regular Top 100 listings.

Impressive, right? Add to it an adorable wine dog, Louis, a couple of highland cattle and a gorgeous property making fantastic Shiraz, Riesling and Cabernet Sauvignon and life is golden.

After my first week of harvest I can officially tell you IT IS REALLY HARD WORK.  Grapes have yet to arrive in Southern Australia and this week was all about preparing for the crop to come- likely slowly starting to roll in next week.

My first task was melting wax  that I then painted on wooden slabs and tanks. After I coated every inch, I blow torched off the streaks of wax to make a smooth covering against any lurking bacteria. These wood slabs are inserted into the tank to hold down the cap of hardened grape skins imparting the grape juice with colour, flavour and tannin. Allow me to present, an iphone photo montage of 3 full days spent repeating this waxing process. Back sore. Brain misses internet (did I mention the winery is in a cell free zone?!). Dreaming of office chairs and French-English dictionaries…

Between axing, melting and burning I also helped wash out a couple of tanks. It is rather awesome to climb inside a tiny tank… until you realize you must clean it by spraying scalding hot water around yourself. Still, a pleasant day time shower and a lot of fun to climb ladders, balance precariously on slanted stainless steel and try not to soak yourself, whille soaking everything else. Never having been particularly handy (surprise, surprise) I have a ton to learn about combing solutions, connecting hoses and running pumps.

Very happy to have a break on Thursday from waxing and cleaning, I spent the last two days of the week on the bottling line. The bottling system is new for the Mitchells, and quite unique for a small winery, where the common practice is shipping finished wine to a larger facility to be bottled.

By adding a bottling line, they instantly have greater control over their finished product, as well as having the decreased cost of outsourcing the work. That being said, running a bottling line is very tricky and temperamental, not to mention dependent on a large amount of staff working the line. A line is exactly what it is. While one member of the team loads bottles, another stacks the finished bottles in cases, while another glues together the cases and yet another stacks cases onto a palate. Plus there is the additional staff to run forklifts and assemble boxes. Tiring repetitive work, but essential. I worked a little bit of everything and have the blisters and glue-burns to show for it.

Next week will be a whole new set of chores, excitement and boredom. Looking forward to lab testing, grape crushing and challenges to come. Until then, I need a beer.

A new day has dawned at Lifford.

On Friday September 24^th Lifford Wine Agency completed the purchase of Saverio Schiralli Agencies.

Over the past  57 years Saverio Shiralli and his family have created one of Canada’s most dynamic, national  wine and spirit companies with sales from coast to coast. Saverio, a true elder statesman at 95, has launched some of Canada’s most beloved brands and remains an inspiration to us all.  Iconic brands led to Schiralli becoming one of Vintages top five suppliers; value brands led to Schiralli representing both Canada’s best selling Italian white wine, Colli Albani,  and Canada’s leading premium white wine, Santa Margherita.  Community is also important to the Schiralli family and nothing demonstrates this better than their commitement to the annual Scotiabank AIDS Walk For Life.

To be considered as a potential purchaser of this company was a privilege in itself; to realize this purchase is truly a dream come true.  For this I owe a special debt of gratitude to Rick Schiralli.

By comparison, Lifford, established in 1978, is but a brash youngster. In 1994 I was able to purchase Lifford and began the journey of eventually becoming Ontario’s largest Consignment player and one of Vintages top ten suppliers.  A true honour, Lifford was recently awarded an Elsie for Vintages Portfolio of the year. Like Schiralli, community is also important to me and our events - including Boys' Night Out, Girls' Night Out, and our Grand Tastings - have now raised more than one million dollars for local charities.  Lifford is licensed to sell only in Ontario.  I always had suppliers asking for national coverage and for years I sought a solution that would give the best chance for success.

Success is what I see when we combine the experience and wisdom of the Schiralli team with my Lifford team that I love and respect so much.  Together we are going to create something truly special.

In Ontario the combined companies position us as the largest supplier of premium wines to the hospitality industry and the top supplier to LCBO Vintages.  As a farm boy from Northern Ontario I have to pinch myself when I say that.

My vision of the future sees combining our talents to not only continue our mantra of supplying the best wines from around the world, but to also give back to our community, a priority forever close to my heart.

I look forward to making our entire company “Carbon Free” and spreading our fundraising events across the country.

In the meantime, today I am 57 and look forward to retiring in 38 years and enjoying the journey with all of you.

Steven Campbell

Grand Fromage