2023
Harvest
Northern California
Photo Essay by
Svante Örnberg
This year’s Northern California harvest is fashionably late.
It’s late because it was a cooler growing season following a late budburst. A very wet winter and spring kept the vines dormant for a couple of weeks longer than usual. So, everything was tracking late from the get-go. June, July, and August were just moderate regarding heat and sunshine. Less than a handful of days barely spiked over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Many mornings started out foggy, keeping conditions cool until around 11 a.m. each day, further slowing berry development.
Although the harvest is late, it’s shaping up to be a winemaker’s dream in terms of wine style. The fruit thus far remains pure and bright with good acidity. Yet many sites will require more hang time to achieve full phenolic and flavor ripeness. Meanwhile, the brix levels suggest that alcohols should, for the most part, come closer to 14% than 15%.
Optimal ripening conditions are holding out thus far. And yields are looking good for Napa Cabernet, but it was essential to drop fruit early to match the moderate sun and heat resources. It is just this week (first week of October) that the Napa harvest has gained momentum, and next week promises to be even busier, especially since we have a few warm days coming up at the end of this week and over the weekend. Still, the way things look, some Napa and Sonoma vintners will likely be harvesting into November.
Our photographer, Svante Örnberg, was in Napa Valley and Sonoma County in mid-September and beautifully captured some early harvest images and emotions. Enjoy!
