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The first grapes of the fall harvest are expected to be picked Tuesday at the Tassel Ridge Winery. Steve Richardson, vineyard manager at Tassel Ridge, tells KNIA/KRLS News the vineyard’s Brianna and Edelweiss varieties of grapes are the first to reach their peak. Richardson says the harvest is the reward for a season’s worth of hard work.

The grape harvest will also give workers the chance to use their newly acquired mechanical harvester, which owner Bob Wersen says will significantly speed up the process, as well as improve wine quality by picking more berries at their peak. The Tassel Ridge Winery is located just off of Highway 163 between Pella and Oskaloosa.