Pecan Creek Winery

Muskogee, Oklahoma

August 19, 2020

Several of our dear friends in photography live in Muskogee, OK or thereabouts so when we realized we could add on a few days in Oklahoma I contacted Tony and asked if they would be in town. In the course of the conversation, he asked if we knew about Harvest Hosts and were we members. Of course we are! We love wine and love Harvest Host. Up until this trip we had only stayed at one in Fredricksburg, Texas. He also shared that they were good friends with the owner Bob and Joan Wickizer and that their winery was associated with Harvest Host. What he didn't tell us was that typically the winery is closed on Wednesdays AND that they were in the middle of harvesting the vignoles grapes. Later we would find out that he told Bob about us coming and we were able to set up right at the winery next to where all the magic was happening.

By the time I arrived from my grocery shopping in town, Robert was set up and ready to go to work for Bob! I mean, literally, he was working, dumping the grapes that had gone through the machine that takes off the stems, and putting them into this huge cylinder with a bladder in it. Once that is all loaded up with grapes, a heavy lid gets screwed down and the bladder begins to inflate. This presses the grapes against each other and then the juice pours out at the bottom and on the sides. I've got a video to show all of this going on. We got to taste the fresh juice before it is fermented and it's delicious. So sweet and fresh tasting.

After the bladder does it thing, the then almost dried grapes have to be dumped out of the container into garbage bags and these are taken to local pig farmers for their slop. Pigs love grapes, I hear! I know I do. The juice then is pumped inside to the huge vats and left to ferment. Bob's job is to test the wine and decide when it is ready to be bottled. I didn't really get much more technical than that because I really enjoy drinking wine more than how to make wine. 

However, it was totally a fascinating experience and one I would highly recommend if you ever get the opportunity. 

Of course, the best part of the evening is hanging out with old friends, Mandy and Tony Corbell, Joe Gylda and Kim Smith and making new friends with Bob and his wife. I hope you enjoy the pictures from our time at Pecan Creek Winery and enjoy the video too.