A RECAP FROM Harvest intern, DEAN HANDY

Our first grapes of the season, from Sonoma’s Lala Panzi vineyard, arrived on August 20th, marking the start of what would be a fast-paced harvest. Things continued quickly, with Bien Nacido’s Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir ready for picking by late August. September was exciting as we raced to keep up with fruit that seemed to ripen all at once. Our white wine press effectively ran non-stop, processing Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, and Pinot Blanc from Sierra Madre and Bien Nacido. Meanwhile, we continued to receive weekly bins of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Los Alamos Valley. By early October, when many wineries were finishing up, we shifted our attention to the bold reds of our smaller batch Clendenen Family Wines: Nebbiolo, Petit Verdot, Petite Sirah, and Refosco.  

As our harvest season winds down, the mood among ABC’s harvest workers is a mixed bag. On one hand, we feel immense relief that there are no more tanks to fill, no pump-overs to manage, and that the noise of our Bien Nacido winery facility has quieted. On the other hand, there’s a strong sense that we will miss the camaraderie that comes from the organized chaos of harvest. It’s a bittersweet feeling to spend months working on wines we won’t see for a while. Now, all that’s left for the 2024 harvest is to wait as the fruits of our labor take their time to mature.

Read more about Dean’s experience with Au Bon Climat here.