If you are walking the vineyards of Napa Valley in August, you might see the rows littered with grapes. What gives! Those grapes make great wines, yes? Of course. But “thinning” – the process of dropping some fruit – helps the quality and development of the remaining fruit. As with everything we do in the vineyard here in Napa, it is all done to ensure the highest quality grapes come harvest time.

 

Here’s a photo from our friends at Staglin Family Vineyard showing “thinning” for quality: