Fred from Alta Napa Valley tells us why they drop fruit during veraison – 2021 vintage update

Last week we caught up with Fred Oliai, owner of Alta Napa Valley, to discuss the last moment preparations as he moves to harvest 2021. To most people, it doesn’t make sense to drop grapes (called “dropping fruit”) right as we are about to harvest here in Napa Valley, but Fred explains why growers will drop fruit as they get to the end of veraison. (spoiler alert – it’s all about quality!)