Harvest update September 28th, 2026

Taking a few minutes off a busy harvest to sum up how it is going so far….. Lots going on right now, what with pressing and racking whites these past few days, punching down red fermentations twice a day, and scheduling two picks this week. If there is no rest for the wicked, I must have done something bad a time or two. The good news is we are already over 60% through harvest, and by the end of this week we will have close to 80% in the winery. With harvest starting on September 9th this year, we were close to normal. Things did accelerate a bit more than typical, as we had a pretty full schedule for most of the last three weeks, and it shows few signs of slowing down soon.

As far as quality is concerned, I am quite pleased. The whites seem to have good fruit and balance. The reds have been deep in color, with ripe tannins and good structure. A few of the maturity numbers were on the high side, causing us to add a little water and acidity here and there. Such is winemaking in a climate of global warming.

Labor has been great, with both assistant winemaker Mandy Letteri and our new intern Austin Dennerline both rising to the challenge, working hard and thoughtfully. We have been getting good volunteer crews in for red crushing. Keep it up, as we are crushing again this Friday.

As for me, I am hanging in there, a little sore here and there, trying hard to keep focused on so many details, day after day. Ah, for a day off in October!

Best to you all. Give a toast to Vintage 2026.

Brian Carter
Winemaker