By Lenn Thompson, Long Island Editor and Editor-in-Chief

Why are these two men, Peter Becraft (assistant winemaker) and Johannes Reindhart (winemaker) of Anthony Road Wine Company, smiling?

Is it because their 2008 Semi-Dry Riesling won the Governor's Cup, awarded to New York's best wine? No, although the wine did win the Cup. Is it because they've finished bottling some amazing TBA-style wines, one of which Johannes considers the wine of his life? No, although they have and he does.

No, they are smiling because they know what I'm in for this weekend and know that I don't. Not really anyway.

I'm leaving for the Finger Lakes tomorrow morning, and after some tasting in the afternoon, probably on Seneca Lake, I'll get to the real work at hand early Friday morning — working the Finger Lakes harvest for the very first time, and at one of the best wineries in the state, Anthony Road Wine Company.

I hear that we'll be hand harvesting the pinot gris block in front of the winery Friday morning. Then, we'll sort that pinot gris and machine-harvesting more pinot gris at the nearby Nutt Road Vineyard.

I've only done a little bit of harvesting before and that was a single row of cabernet franc, at my own pace. This is sure to be a much different experience, but one that I'm excited about.

I'll have Internet access all three evenings I'm up there, so look for some posts.