A walk through vineyards in August reveals such a sense of neatness. Vineyard floors are cleared to allow the movement of air – a way to control the temperature of the vineyards. The vines are hedged and “leafed” and secured to trellis systems. We continue hand management of the vines’ development, finding the right balance between greenery and fruit.
Our grape crop has matured at a steady pace. In fact, the grapes finished a key period called veraison in July. This is the stage of the growing season when young green grapes soften and either turn yellow or red in color depending on the variety. Since the color change doesn’t happen uniformly, red varieties have the mottled appearance of Indian corn at this point.
With the onset of veraison, harvest predictions begin to take shape. The variations in temperature ultimately determines when picking crews will go to work, because grape maturation slows down with cold weather and speeds up in heat.
In September, the Hayfork Valley vineyards are very close to harvest. The weather is providing picture-perfect harvest conditions – dry, sunny days with high temperatures in the 90s.
This will be an exciting harvest for many reasons – one of which is that the long, steady growing season will produce a clean crop with a strong backbone of acid, distinct varietal flavors, and rich maturity. Additionally, “It’s looking like a typical year in terms of volume,” says our very pleased winemaker, Mike Sumner.
Enjoy these last warm days of fall and remember that every day is a holiday if it includes a glass of wine!
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