The pace is picking up, with a variety of Napa Valley white wine grapes now hitting the crush pad: Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Pinot Grigio and even some Chardonnay. Winemaking crews are getting busier, but they are happy and smiling because the quality of this year’s harvest is truly exceptional so far. Yields are also looking Read the full article…

Thanks to a week of warm (but not hot) days and cool, crisp nights, the harvest pace is picking up. We’d hate to jinx it, but the weather has been PERFECT for developing grape ripeness balanced with acidity, thanks to big swings between daytime and nighttime temperatures. Up and down Napa Valley, first bins of Read the full article…

Just when we thought harvest was going to be early, Mother Nature stepped in and turned down the thermostat. Since late July, a cool weather pattern has slowed ripening by a bit. A few grapes have been picked – including Pinot Noir from south Napa County for sparkling wine, Semillon from Calistoga and Sauvignon Blanc Read the full article…

The first wine grapes of the 2016 vintage were picked on July 28 at Green Island Vineyard in southern Napa County and have made their way from the vineyard to the crush pad to become Mumm Napa sparkling wine. The picking of aromatic white wine grapes, like Sauvignon Blanc, will start in the next week Read the full article…