Milla Vineyards

[rrawhide]

Hi all (this will be a long post so hope that you will enjoy it!!!)

Had a wonderful day on Saturday - was invited to a bottling party in Fresno, Ca at the Milla Vineyards. This is a 3 generation family operation that makes wine the old fashioned way. Here is what we did: There were 11 of us including Joey and Debbie Milla. We bottled 375 gallons of 'Simply Irrestible' a red blend heading for China. If you do the math 375 gallons times 5 liters per gallon is 1875 bottles or 156 cases. We did this in 4 hours. About 40 cases an hour. Wow, this beats his 25/cases per hour his regular average. We had a great team that were in sync.!!! What I did was feed Steve (the bottles) that ran the 4-bottle filler - then to Cheryl who did the corking (1000 corks to hopper and feeds one at a time) - then to John who put on the capsules the then to George to shrinked the capsule. Over to the rest of the crew which placed the labels on the bottles and inserted in cases on a pallet. Wow, I keep thinking of me that used my filling wand and floor corker and hand labels and I am so very happy that this is how I do it. Lots of folks do it the faster way but this is a hobby (for me) and I kinda like it slow!!!!!! But it sure was fun seeing how and helping others do it - small family winery - then comes the big guys - - - wow!!!

Here are a few pictures of the 'line'

Joey Milla running labels

bottling line - filler - corker - capsules - shrink capsules then off to labeling

four spout filler (milk machine)

tank we pumped from - was 375 gallons to start

bottles ready for filler (steve)

corking machine

capsules ready for shrinking (joey fixing handle)

labeling and palletizing

ready for labels

steve and debbie (joey's wife) bbq pizza

end of day (4 hours) enjoying what we bottled and bbq pizza!!

really interesting - at the end of the day (about 1:00pm) went into the tasting area and debbie was bbqing pizza. She obtained pizza sheets (about 1/4" thick - 5x8?") and put on the bbq frozen. As it thawed and cooked the 'dough raised' to about 1/2" thick. She had a pizza making area set up for sauces and onions and olives and cheeses and mushrooms and lots more stuff. You make your own pizza and then back to the bbq and under a cover to melt the cheese and off to eat and wine!!! wow what a lunch. Make your own pizza the way you want it - and with a glass of wine (the 2006 blend that we just bottled) and wow!!! nice way to end up the day.

Too bad that we had to drive 100 miles home!!!!

If anybody is interested their website is www.millavineyards.com.

Hope you enjoyed this.

rrawhide



Edited by: rrawhide

 

[Waldo]

Pretty cool way to spend the rrawhide, thanks for sharing the experience..And the wine everyone bottled is going to China?

 

[Joanie]

Very cool, Rawhide!!! Thanks for sharing!!!

 

[grapeman]

Looks like fun there rawhide.

 

[rrawhide]

Hi Waldo

Apparently there is a growing market in China for wine - any kind of wine so this is where the batch is going. Pretty good for the market. By the way, Joey mentioned that the northern california grapes are really in trouble because of a late freeze. Evidently some areas lost their entire crop. Should be good for the central southern wine growers this year. Glad we make our own!!!
rrawhide

 

[moto-girl]

What a lovely day rrawhide, thanks for sharing.

 

[Wade E]

Looks like a nice setup and a good time there rrawhide!

 

[joeswine]

now thats a real cool event nice experience to have and a lot if wine to bottle,food sounds enviting also//real nice







http://www.sweetim.com/s.asp?im=gen&ref=12

 

[pizz65]

that looks alike a great time rrawhide 100 mile drive home??? I would be spending the night and drinking a few more bottles