Grape picking, closely followed by the crush, and then the harvest, is now taking place up and down the Napa Valley. Harvest can stretch from late July and into November, but the vast majority takes places in September and October - two months that are often considered the best time to visit Napa, Sonoma, and nearby cities. The high temperatures of summer give way to a slightly cooler Indian summer and shorter days lend themselves to beautiful sunsets across the valley.
Several factors play a role in deciding when grape-picking begins. These include the grape variety itself; its location in the Napa Valley; the influence of microclimates throughout the valley (i.e. fog, exposure); winemaking styles; soil types (looser, gravelly soils tend to ripen grapes early; heavier, clay soil, later); and how the season’s weather impacts the overall harvest. There are certainly overlaps and sometimes block by block picking, but we’ve done our research to give you a sense of which wines comes in when and why.
Sparkling WineGrapes for sparkling wine are usually the first to be picked to ensure the bright acidity that winemakers are looking for in sparkling wines. The primary grape varieties harvested for Napa Valley sparkling wines are Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, the majority of which are from the cooler Carneros region.
Sparkling WineGrapes for sparkling wine are usually the first to be picked to ensure the bright acidity that winemakers are looking for in sparkling wines. The primary grape varieties harvested for Napa Valley sparkling wines are Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, the majority of which are from the cooler Carneros region.
Sauvignon Blanc and other Aromatic White WinesSauvignon Blanc and other “aromatic” white wine grapes, like Riesling, Pinot Grigio or Chenin Blanc, are typically the next varietals of Napa Valley fine wine grapes to be brought from vineyard to crush pad. These grapes tend to mature earlier than most other grapes, as the citrus, tropical and other fruit flavor profiles that exude the enticing and sometimes bracingly refreshing scents are articulated at a particular acid/sugar ratio that requires less heat and time on the vine.
Chardonnay
Winemakers creating lighter styles of Chardonnay are looking for slivers of bright acids showing through; those making Chardonnay with a sense of nectar are looking for slightly more developed sugars, translating to more time in the sun. Deeper, richer flavors of pear or caramel in Chardonnay typically take time in wood barrels and express a note or two of butter.
Chardonnay
Winemakers creating lighter styles of Chardonnay are looking for slivers of bright acids showing through; those making Chardonnay with a sense of nectar are looking for slightly more developed sugars, translating to more time in the sun. Deeper, richer flavors of pear or caramel in Chardonnay typically take time in wood barrels and express a note or two of butter.
Pinot NoirOur transition from the harvest of white wine grapes to red shifts with this delicate grape variety. As with all classified wines, there are many expressions of a particular fine wine grape; Pinot grapes picked earlier have a fresh, plummy appeal and red tones; those picked later have a somewhat denser mouth feel and concentrated black fruit flavor. Key qualities include sweetness without astringency or tartness, the perfect pendulum of sugars and acids as harvest swings from late summer into fall.
Earlier Reds
Red wine grape varieties such as Merlot, Zinfandel, Cabernet Franc, Syrah and Sangiovese are often picked in advance of the most intense period of harvesting Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. These red wine grape varieties tend to flower earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon; they typically have thinner skins; and are usually less dependent on phenolic development (tannins) than many Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.
Cabernet Sauvignon
There are a multitude of variables that go into when Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are picked: the location of the vineyards within the Napa Valley’s 16 nested AVAs and the many microclimates in our region; hillside or valley floor fruit; whether the vines are on the eastern slope (which receives more hours of sunshine) vs. the western slope (which receives somewhat less sunshine); what type of soil the grapes are grown in; and the style of wine that the winemaker ultimately seeks to create. The harvesting of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes in the Napa Valley begins later than most other varieties and typically lasts the longest. In some years that may mean the middle of November before Napa Valley’s harvest of grapes to make dry wines is officially considered “done!”
So get out and enjoy the crush and the harvest this year! And keep these timelines in mind as you taste each (and every) bottle!
Earlier Reds
Red wine grape varieties such as Merlot, Zinfandel, Cabernet Franc, Syrah and Sangiovese are often picked in advance of the most intense period of harvesting Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. These red wine grape varieties tend to flower earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon; they typically have thinner skins; and are usually less dependent on phenolic development (tannins) than many Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.
Cabernet Sauvignon
There are a multitude of variables that go into when Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are picked: the location of the vineyards within the Napa Valley’s 16 nested AVAs and the many microclimates in our region; hillside or valley floor fruit; whether the vines are on the eastern slope (which receives more hours of sunshine) vs. the western slope (which receives somewhat less sunshine); what type of soil the grapes are grown in; and the style of wine that the winemaker ultimately seeks to create. The harvesting of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes in the Napa Valley begins later than most other varieties and typically lasts the longest. In some years that may mean the middle of November before Napa Valley’s harvest of grapes to make dry wines is officially considered “done!”
So get out and enjoy the crush and the harvest this year! And keep these timelines in mind as you taste each (and every) bottle!
RSS Feed