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WINEMAKING purchased another Bucher press for this year. "The quality of the press wine is way better, and we can turn this thing all day." After pressing and during barrel aging, the wine undergoes regular analysis for VA and sulfur dioxide. Two Bucher Vaslin basket presses are The staff at Kosta used for red must. Browne can run all standard lab analysis in-house, but they do send out for microbiological work. Because Browne feels too much SO2 can "rip the soul out of a wine," he monitors his wines closely and makes slight adjustments as needed. The lab is equipped with a Chemwell 2910 Autoanalyzer for enzymatic testing and staffed with a full-time enologist. During harvest, Kosta Browne will bring on three lab interns and 12 additional cellar workers. Four full-time workers, including a cellarmaster, staff the winery during the rest of the year. While harvest at any winery can be grueling, the season can be especially hectic at Kosta Browne. Every bin of each lot is generally analyzed for Brix, acidity and pH, and the same commitment to detail is given to each wine lot as it goes through the winemaking process. The winery receives fruit from three appellations that can often hit ripening at the same time. Because it specializes in just Pinot and Chardonnay, the harvest at Kosta Browne is often shorter than at other wineries but more intense. "Our fruit all comes in during a short period of time," Browne said. "If we do not have the proper equipment and facilities to deal with that fruit, then quality goes down. We have built a system where we can handle the fruit as it comes, and I feel we are better than ever before in terms of quality." In 1997, the founding partners made the first vintage of Kosta Browne wine with a hand-cranked destemmer. Since then, Kosta Browne has been catapulted to the top tier of Pinot Noir producers in California, and the winery now has a home that reflects its remarkable ascent. A shipment of new barrels is lined up in the grape-receiving area. Win es & Vin es Sept em b er 20 13 51