Another weekend

Over the past week, I have learned the procedures for pump overs and rack and returns at the winery. It's not too exciting, but it keeps me busy. Next week, we'll be pressing, so things should get hectic and 12-hour shifts should begin. Yesterday I went to Adelaide for the Soundwave concert festival, which was great. There were six stages, each with a different genre of rock music playing throughout the day. I got there at 11am, so I was ready to go by 10pm when Faith No More finished the show. It was a lot of fun, just a bit dusty.

Life in the Barossa

I've been working at the winery for two weeks now, learning how they do things. It has been pretty easy so far, mostly transferring wine from tank to tank. We crushed the first grapes of the season on Friday, so things will be busier from now on. I start 12 hour shifts on Tuesday. Last weekend I went to the beach in Adelaide, and this weekend I went to two comedy shows at the Fringe Festival in Adelaide. The festival is made up of hundreds of comedy acts, theater performances, music concerts, circus acts, and fair rides over three weeks at 300 different venues around South Australia. The comedy was very funny and made for a good night out. Next weekend I will go to a concert festival in Adelaide which should be a great show. After that, I should stop having fun and spend all my time at work.

The Barossa Valley

I made it to Melbourne for a great concert, then drove the Great Ocean Road to Adelaide in 12 hours. It was a very pretty road, and it was nice and cool at the coast. I met a friend in Adelaide for the night. We went to the beach for a morning swim before leaving for Barossa Valley. I spent the weekend at a campground, then found my own granny unit in a town called Nuriootpa. It is attached to a house where a 75-year-old man lives. He talked at me all night and he got most of the way through his life story. But I have my own bedroom, living room, bathroom and kitchen. I like the peace and quiet. It is on a quiet cul de sac and a two minute walk from the supermarket. I work in the next town to the south, Tanunda. The winery is called Illaparra, but the company is Grant Burge Wines. It is family owned and my supervisor and manager are very nice. The manager lived in Santa Rosa and Windsor a year ago, and he enjoyed 3rd Street Aleworks, Bear Republic, and Mexican food. In other words, he's great. The induction day involved paperwork, winery tours, a tasting of 20 wines all the way up to their $100 Cab and $125 Shiraz (which were amazing), and a beer with the permanent staff at the end of the day. My first two days of work have been easy but hot when I stand 30 feet up on the catwalks and it is 100 degrees in the sun. I have a friend in Tanunda who I hang out with every few days. There's a brewery nearby which is pretty good, but at $20 a six pack I won't make a habit of it.