2014 Napa Valley Vintage
Early harvest yields high quality wine grape crop
In spite of the drought and the South Napa earthquake, vintners are using words like “quality,” “depth of flavor” and “excellent” to describe their expectations for the 2014 vintage in Napa Valley. Many are also noting “perfect weather,” “abundant crop” and “good fortune” among the blessings they are counting in a season where Mother Nature threw a rockin’ curveball.
Harvest started and ended earlier than usual. The first grapes for sparkling wine picked on July 30 and nearly all harvest activity was completed by the third week in October – for many, a full two weeks ahead of the normal harvest schedule.
Vintage Quotes
“Napa Valley’s 2014 vintage is one of its best years in the last two decades” – – James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com
Related Articles
– 2014 Vintage Report: California Wine Harvest – WineSpectator.com
– Napa Cabernet 2014: 10 Years After – WineSpectator.com
– Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 Tasting: A Seismic Vintage? – www.jamessuckling.com
– 2014 Napa Valley 10-Years-On – The Wine Independent
Vintage Videos
2014 Napa Vintage Report – Martin Mendes-Costabel – Wintertime Drought
Napa Valley’s 2024 vintage review filmed in 2024
Vintage Chart

Start! Stop! Go!
The cool, autumn-like weather late last week gave Napa Valley’s vintners and growers a break from picking grapes and allowed a bit of time for catching up in the cellar. There was flurry of picking activity mid-week, right before two short, intense storms passed quickly through the valley pausing vineyard activity for a couple of Read the full article…
The Pace is Smooth and Steady
Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon were harvested in Napa Valley this week and other white varieties, including Chardonnay, are softening toward ripeness as we head into the second half of the month. Cooler temperatures overall are keeping harvest at a steady pace for now, but the somewhat warmer days predicted for the week ahead ought to Read the full article…
A Prelude to What’s To Come
Harvest in Napa Valley is quietly getting underway. After the first grapes for sparkling wine were picked last week, we’ve had cooler and overcast weather, giving a mild pause to the ripening process. A few Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc grapes are being picked this week and next, but right now is the calm before the Read the full article…
Napa Valley Harvest 2014 Has Begun
The first of Napa Valley’s sparkling wine producers began picking grapes around 6 a.m. on Wednesday, July 30, just two days earlier than the start of last year’s wine grape harvest. Although this past winter was one of the driest on record, Napa’s vintners and growers are predicting an abundant, high-quality harvest for the third Read the full article…