From grape to glass: Inside District Winery's harvest season | DC Refined

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District Winery has only been open for a year, but it's been a smash hit with Washingtonians. The wine is eminently drinkable, it's a beautiful space and guests can peek at the winemaking process through the winery's floor-to-ceiling windows.{ } It's currently harvest season, meaning District Winery's employees are processing grapes, smashing them and preparing them for fermentation. Here's what that process looks like.{ } (Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/DC Refined)

District Winery's grapes are grown in California. The fruit is harvested there, placed on refrigerated trucks and transported to D.C. In years past, winemaker Conor McCormack has used some Virginia gapes in some of his blends, but due to the unusually wet and hot growing period this year, he decided to omit them in District Winery's harvest. (Image courtesy of District Winery)

Grapes being sent to the destemmer. (Image courtesy of District Winery)

The end product. (Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/DC Refined)<p></p>

The grape juice and the skins are placed in large bins, where the skins float to the top. That top layer, which is called a cap, is mixed back in to the juice in order to give the wine its complex flavor. (Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/DC Refined)<p></p><p></p>

Winemaker Conor McCormack mixes the cap back into the wine.{ }(Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/DC Refined)

All of the red wine in District Winery's collection was actually made at their other winery - District Winery. However, in winter, District Winery will introduce their made-in-house reds.{ }(Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/DC Refined)

The juice underneath the cap.{ }(Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/DC Refined)

Throughout the fermenting process, the wine needs to be tested for its chemical composition, smell and temperature.{ }(Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/DC Refined)<p></p>

This year marks District winery's largest harvest - 20 tons of grapes will be brought in from California.{ }(Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/DC Refined)

The wine is stored in oak barrels.{ }(Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/DC Refined)

Before the wine is checked, the barrels need to be scrubbed so that mold doesn't inadvertently fall into the wine mixture.{ }(Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/DC Refined)<p></p><p></p>

Cellar worker{ }Claire Corbin inspects the wine. (Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/DC Refined)

Before the wine is checked, the barrels need to be scrubbed so that mold doesn't inadvertently fall into the wine mixture. (Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/DC Refined)

Each barrel has notes about the wine inside and the processing it's received. (Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/DC Refined)<p></p>

Conor McCormack pulls some of the juice from its container, before it's placed in barrels. (Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/DC Refined)

Analyzing the wine-in-progress.{ } (Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/DC Refined)

The barrels are filled with wine, but the amount of time the wine spends in the barrel depends on its blend and the type of wine being made. (Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/DC Refined)<p></p>

Conor McCormack, right, talks to cellar worker Claire Corbin and winery production manager Erik Subrizi.{ } (Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/DC Refined)

Last year, District Winery's rosé was a smash hit.{ } (Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/DC Refined)<p></p>

Conor McCormack enjoying the end product.{ } (Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/DC Refined)

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