Yesterday morning, Kath and I set the alarm for a produce-pickin’ adventure. As former residents of the Pacific Northwest, we were familiar with the buzz surrounding the start of Washington state cherry season. But this was the first time we were close enough to the source to actually participate in U-Pick cherries at local farms.

Apparently, Memorial Day weekend is the official start of the season: A figurative starter’s pistol cracks, and people from all over the Bay Area, including San Francisco, travel hours to our neck of the woods to swarm the orchards; buckets and ladders akimbo.

Yesterday, we crossed from Oakley into Brentwood (no passport required) and, armed with our Harvest Time Farm Trail Map, dropped in to Nunn Better Farms. Grab a bucket, proceed to the orchard rows marked by the flags, then help yourself. Whether the cherries end up in the bucket or in your mouth is up to you; you just pay $2.50 a pound for what’s in the pail. The owner invited us into a closed section of the orchard to taste some pale, firm Utah Giants that were just starting to come into their own. The trees in the flagged rows were laden with delicious, ripe fruit (check out Kath’s photo), and all within reach — no ladder required! We ended up with eight pounds of sweet Coral Champagnes.

The only thing sweeter was the knowledge that we had beaten the mob scene that traditionally defines U-Pick cherry season around here.

Speaking of “cherries,” that’s exactly the sort of aroma and appearance one gets from Boho Vineyards 2008 Old Vine Zinfandel, sourced from Oakley Zin vines throughout our ‘hood. It’s “bottled” inside a resealable bag, itself inside an octagonal cardboard box made from recycled material and printed with plant-based inks. It’s known as the Octavin Home Wine Bar, and its 3-liter capacity replaces four glass bottles.

It’s a great quaff, and the Boho folks indicate that the packaging design allows the contents to stay fresh for up to six weeks after opening. The Octavin didn’t last in our joint anywhere near that long, with its peppery berry nose and Gamay-like approachability. Not a huge finish, but for the equivalent of about $6 a bottle, it’s a nice Oakley Zin to have, literally, on tap.