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.”
“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
– How California’s 2017 Vintages Prevailed Virginie Boone, WineEnthusiast.com
Overview of the 2017 vintage from Napa Valley
As temperatures increase, so does the intensity of this year’s harvest. Many producers throughout the valley have been busy bringing in Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and other aromatic whites. Just when we thought it would be another average harvest, Mother Nature has thrown us a curve ball: a prolonged heat wave is keeping winemakers on their Read the full article…
Throughout the valley, winemakers are buzzing with the excitement of bringing in their first grapes to the crush pad. We are seeing an array of Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier from both north and south Napa County. Just when we thought it couldn’t get any better, some producers had the once-in-a-lifetime chance Read the full article…
The first wine grapes of this year’s harvest were picked on August 7 in southern Napa County and have made their way from the vineyard to the crush pad to become the first sparkling wine of the 2017 vintage. Other sparkling wine producers will be picking their first wine grapes in the coming days. The Read the full article…
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