For our third “Harvest Huddle” video, we headed inside to see what goes on in the winery during harvest. Winemaker Stephanie Jacobs of Cakebread Cellars discusses fermenting “on lees” and what that adds to her Chardonnay. The winemakers of Napa are constantly walking their fruit through the stages of becoming wine, even if that means Read the full article…
2017 Napa Valley Vintage
Mother Nature throws curve balls; winemakers catch them
The year began with abundant rainfall, followed by a mild Spring resulting in extended flowering with little shatter. A Labor Day weekend heatwave kicked harvest into high gear, then cool weather allowed sugar levels to return to normal. By October 8 nearly 90 percent of the 2017 grape tonnage was in when warm, fierce winds fueled an unprecedented firestorm. Napa Valley’s winemakers remain committed to upholding the region’s reputation for making some of the world’s finest wines and early articles about the 2017 vintage describe the wines with words such as “finesse,” “great complexity of flavor” and “elegant.”
Vintage Quotes
“Though the vintage was a tricky one to manage, it was still anticipated to be of excellent overall quality.” – – Virginie Boone, WineEnthusiast.com
“…the 2017 vintage yielded a number of exceptional wines.” – – Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com
Related Articles
– How California’s 2017 Vintages Prevailed Virginie Boone, WineEnthusiast.com
Vintage Chart
Vintage Videos
Overview of the 2017 vintage from Napa Valley
The Hills Are Alive…With Grapes
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 Read the full article…
Harvest Huddle with Matt Crafton
In the second of our “Harvest Huddle” video series, Winemaker Matt Crafton dishes the dirt on the dirt. The soils in Napa Valley are so diverse, they offer winemakers different taste profiles. This allows them to blend as needed to achieve the quality and taste they are aiming for.
Harvest Huddle with Doug Shafer
Harvest is all about deciding the perfect time to pick the grapes. And what influences that decision? That little thing to the south of us called San Francisco Bay. Doug Shafer of Shafer Vineyards talks about the bay’s influence on harvest in the first of our “Harvest Huddle” videos.
Mother Nature Keeping Us On Our Toes
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 Read the full article…
