Weeks have come and gone, and the close of this year’s harvest is upon us. The usual cheering, end of harvest get-togethers and general excitement have been replaced with an overwhelming sense of gratitude. The recent wildfires came right as harvest was wrapping up for many in the valley, with an estimated 90% of the grapes already in. This year’s harvest has tested every winemaker’s quick thinking, thanks to the ups and downs that Mother Nature has thrown their way. Even with everything that has happened, this year’s vintage is going to be excellent. While the celebrating might not happen today, this week or even next month, our sense of community and love for each other will shine. As we start to pick up the pieces, we will all share a glass of wine and be thankful for what we have. Jon Ruel from Trefethen Vineyards may have said it best: “We know that the Napa community is resilient and we will support each other as we move forward together.”

If you would like to support the Napa Valley community during this challenging time, you can donate to the Napa Valley Community Disaster Relief Fund or enjoy a glass or bottle Napa Valley wine wherever you are. Even better: come visit us sometime, taste early samples from the 2017 vintage and experience the bounty and beauty that still remains in the place we are so grateful to call home.

This harvest season has given us our fair share of ups and downs weather-wise. It might sound like a broken record, but Mother Nature is keeping us active. Last week’s dip in temperatures slowed down the progress of harvest for most throughout the valley, but the silver lining for producers was the ability to catch up in the cellar. Just when we thought the cooler weather was here to stay, the heat returned and it was a blessing for all. This latest rise in temperatures helped push grapes to ripen, and the valley is alive once again with the bright lights of night harvesting. We are still a few weeks out before most Cabernet Sauvignon will be picked, but the consensus from winemakers is that by mid-October we will be in the thick of it. Even with this crazy ride, everyone is happy with the quality and yield coming out of the vineyards.

Another week has come to an end this harvest season, and we couldn’t be happier. Weather conditions are ideal for our red wine grapes and the few late harvest white grapes are still on the vine. Vintners on the valley floor have been busily picking lighter reds and small lots of Cabernet Sauvignon, but our hillside producers have been relatively quiet until now. Almost all hillside wineries are starting to bring in fruit, and things couldn’t be better. Lush, vibrant fruit is making winemakers so excited they could dance – literally! While we still have a few weeks to go before the height of the Cabernet Sauvignon picking begins, it gives us time to stop and enjoy the other amazing varieties that grow within the valley.

From record-breaking heat to drizzly summer days, this year’s harvest is keeping our winemakers busy. Throughout the valley, temperatures soared well over 100 degrees for multiple days causing a flurry of activity in the vineyards. As of now most white wine grapes have been picked, and many producers are expecting red grapes in the coming days. If you had asked our winemakers back in May if they thought they would have their white wine harvest completed before Labor Day, they surely would have laughed. Most thought the timing of this year’s harvest would be “normal” and it has been anything but. However, it looks like there is a slow down on the horizon with cooler weather headed our way, a welcome change for all. The silver lining to the busy nights and endless days of work is that this year’s crop size is normal and quality is excellent across the board.

As temperatures increase, so does the intensity of this year’s harvest. Many producers throughout the valley have been busy bringing in Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and other aromatic whites. Just when we thought it would be another average harvest, Mother Nature has thrown us a curve ball: a prolonged heat wave is keeping winemakers on their toes. Grape bins are being filled with the more delicate grape varieties ensuring they are picked ahead of the heat spike. While crush pads and tank rooms are bustling, the real work is in the vineyards right now ensuring fruit has proper canopy protection or shade cloth to protect it from the elements. The weather might have winemakers moving up picking schedules, but everyone is waiting with open arms to meet the abundance of fruit hitting the crush pad.

Throughout the valley, winemakers are buzzing with the excitement of bringing in their first grapes to the crush pad. We are seeing an array of Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier from both north and south Napa County. Just when we thought it couldn’t get any better, some producers had the once-in-a-lifetime chance to harvest and crush during the eclipse. While many grape varieties are starting to come in, we are still not in the full swing of harvest. The cooler nights and mornings are letting the grapes take their time to ripen fully. There’s still plenty to do to ensure quality, including fine-tuning the vine canopies so grapes get just the right amount of sunlight to cross the finish line to ripeness.

The first wine grapes of this year’s harvest were picked on August 7 in southern Napa County and have made their way from the vineyard to the crush pad to become the first sparkling wine of the 2017 vintage. Other sparkling wine producers will be picking their first wine grapes in the coming days. The timing of this year’s harvest looks to be normal, a welcome change from the early harvests the past couple of years. Sauvignon Blanc and other aromatic white wine grapes will start to hit crush pads in the next 14 – 20 days. The recent heat hasn’t caused any concerns for vintners. This year’s wet winter has winemakers throughout the valley thankful, but has led to a lot of vine vigor or how one vintner described his vines as being quite “frisky” this year. Vintners and growers are busy managing vine canopies, checking as grapes turn from green to red and gearing up for another high quality Napa Valley vintage.

One year ago, Napa Valley’s wineries were already gearing up to begin picking the first grapes of the new vintage. Thanks to a colder, wetter winter, it looks like our 2017 harvest won’t get underway for a couple more weeks. Right now, winemakers are walking their vineyards, keeping a keen eye on what’s happening. Workers are strategically managing vine canopies to ensure optimal sun exposure while grapes are beginning veraison, the process of slowly changing color and transitioning to the ripeness and softness that says “pick me!” We call harvest Our Championship Season because it is the culmination of 12 months of rigorous work and concentrated effort. It’s the time when the wine community puts in more hours than any other during the year. It’s also the time when we come together with the common goal of producing the best possible wines that deserve to say Napa Valley on the label. It’s almost harvest time and we hope you’ll join us for updates, photos, videos, music and the stories of just what’s behind every bottle of Napa Valley wine.