(Montrealgazette) - I was tasting the wines of a young winemaker from Burgundy a few years ago. The subject turned to wine critics, and he told me, with a tone of contempt, “it takes three years from my vines flowering to when I put my wine to market. These people sit down, have a sip, and after a minute tell me what my wine is all about. Most of these people have never made a wine in their lives.” Touché. For most people, October and November mean getting back into the routine of work or school, but all over the northern hemisphere, wineries are abuzz, vintners working non-stop, harvesting and crushing grapes, and turning the 2011 vintage into wine. This year, I decided to join them.