The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

(If You Like Sleep Deprivation and Forklifts)

If you make wine in Oregon, fall is less “cozy sweater season” and more “wear the same hoodie for 27 days straight and try not to crash your forklift” season.

Harvest and crush are here, and that means long days, longer nights, and the annual gamble with weather, ripeness, and caffeine tolerance.

Every September, our friends at Landmass, Free Time, Cutter Cascadia, Suzor, Mijita, Little Crow, Son of Man, the Marigny, and a dozen others dive headfirst into the madness that defines this time of year. The days start early in the vineyard and often end well past midnight at the winery. There are grape-stained hands, sore backs, and the occasional nap taken in the back of a pickup—or, if you’re lucky, next to the warmth of a fermenting tank.

It’s chaos, but it’s beautiful chaos. This is when the next year’s wines are born, when all the planning and farming and fretting come together (or don’t), and when the collaborative spirit of Oregon’s indie winemaking scene really shines. Everyone borrows everyone else’s hoses, presses, and patience. There’s an easy generosity that runs through these small operations: help your neighbor today, they’ll help you tomorrow.

Meanwhile, as fruit comes in and ferments begin to bubble, the cycle of wine life spins on. The bottles that were pressed, aged, and bottled last year are now hitting shelves—new releases landing just in time for fall dinners and holiday tables. Over the next few weeks, expect to see some fresh arrivals at Wellspent: drinkable, festive reds; zippy sparklers that taste like celebration; and a few special cuvées we’ve been waiting all year to share.

And if you’re the patient type, spring will bring even more. Many of the small producers we work with focus on wines meant to be drunk young—bright, fresh, and full of energy—so they’ll spend the winter resting just long enough to be bottled and released as the days get longer again. It’s a nice rhythm: harvest now, feast soon, celebrate later.

Watching these winemakers grind through the season—driven by passion, curiosity, and the occasional questionable playlist—reminds us why we do what we do. It’s not glamorous work (just ask anyone who’s hosed out a tank at 3am), but it’s joyful, communal, and creative in all the right ways. We’re lucky to know these people, luckier still to share what they make, and very much looking forward to raising a glass or three once the dust—and the grape skins—settle.

We’ll be celebrating the end of harvest with what comes next: new releases from our favorite makers, starting with Division’s annual Gamay Nouveau, an extremely limited edition pet-nat from Cutter Cascadia, and a few special holiday magnums from Suzor (which all landed this week!). Stop by soon—these bottles have a way of disappearing fast.

Photos via @landmasswines, @freetimewine, @mijita_wine_co, @suzor_wines, @grape.girls2, @marignywines