Our last Zinfandel of the vintage, the 94-year-old vines outdid themselves, producing a respectable 2 tons to the acre.  Deciding when to pick here is a real challenge.  Pick on sugar and the acidity will likely melt our tanks.  (Well, not really.  But you get the idea.)  Pick on acidity and the sugar will likely result in a stuck fermentation.  It’s all about finding a balance.  In the end, we picked on October 15th at 27.7 Brix, 3.17 pH, and 8.2 g/L titratable acidity.  Rarely does one see these kind of numbers on reds but the results are as exhilarating as they are delectable!