That Harvest Buzz…by John Komes

Harvest is one of my favorite times of the year and there is a palpable nostalgic energy in the air. As we approach the inevitable first pick of 2017 which we surmise is about two weeks behind the 2016 harvest, we are on track for a normal year. I’m not kidding when I say that this vintage is beautiful for grape growing and one of best I’ve seen in the last decade.

The mild weather of late is giving the clusters time to moderately develop sugar content in conjunction with phenolic levels that contribute to ideal color and aroma. Perfect fruit ripeness is typically the intersection of sugar and the stage at which the phenols change from green and bitter to pleasantly astringent, soft and ripe-tasting. And this phase is just around the corner. We anticipate that our yields will be up between 15-20% over the 2016 vintage which means more wine for you and more wine for me! What could be better than that?!