August 11
Harvest preparations are now in full swing. The grapes won’t wait for anyone.
In Calistoga the Sauvignon Blanc has gone through veraison and with the warm and pleasant weather will be ready for harvest very soon. Veraison is the French word for the onset of ripening of the grapes. It’s the transition stage marking the beginning of sugar accumulation, berry softening, chlorophyll loss and color formation. One of our viticulturalists once likened it to coming around the dark side of the moon. Different varietals mature at different rates. Sauvignon Blanc ripens early and changes from a vibrant green to a golden green. Pinot Noir and Merlot will follow changing from green to violet. It’s a truly dramatic and beautiful time that makes the butterflies in my stomach flutter with excitement in anticipation of the approaching vintage.
We are all now rushing to make sure we are prepared for crush. Twomey in Healdsburg has received the open top Pinot Noir tanks and has a cast of engineers, fabricators and plumbers working at a frenzied pace to complete the installation of the catwalks punch down system, electricity, water and glycol for chilling the tanks. Even with all that effort it seems that the Sauvignon Blanc will beat us to the punch, arriving in the next couple of weeks. This means that the winemaking team must be nimble and plan ahead. Happily we have a well trained group that knows how to make adjustments. By the time the Pinot Noir arrives at the end of the month the facility will be ready.
We’re expecting the Pinot from Russian River Valley and Santa Maria to arrive at the end of the month followed by the arrival of fruit from our cooler sites on the Sonoma Coast and in Anderson Valley. The Merlot from our Napa Valley Soda Canyon Ranch is going through veraison right now and is expected in September.
With final review of the harvest protocols, supplies and staffing falling into place we expect to be ready. Let the harvest begin!
~Daniel Baron