Tag: Grapes

2026 Harvest – One for the Record Books

Published

By Sarah Atwood, Winemaker
Ghostwritten by Michael Meluskey, GM

Au Bon Climat brought in our first grapes on July 13th. In our 44-year history, this is the earliest harvest start we have ever had, a month to six weeks sooner than normal. 

Getting the winery ready for harvest is never a small task: equipment gets moved, serviced, cleaned, and put back to work just as the fruit starts rolling in. Add a busy July and August bottling schedule to free up tanks and barrels, and we saw a few weeks of controlled chaos, which is also why this update is being ghostwritten. 

The good news: even though harvest arrived early, the growing season has treated us well. A mild winter and early spring brought early bud break, but we avoided frost, had excellent fruit set, and have enjoyed a cool ripening season. We are very happy with the quality of the grapes coming in. 

If 2026 teaches us anything, it is that flexibility is not just helpful in harvest, it is required. We are moving quickly, adjusting daily, and doing our best to stay one step ahead of the grapes.

Everything Signals a Good Harvest

Published

Keeping an eye on harvest 2023

Grapes send clear signals throughout their growing cycle, so far, all of the signals have been strong.

The cold and wet winter was a clear signal to take a break and shut down.  Vines need at least 6 weeks of dormancy, which was not a problem this year. The cool early summer has allowed the grapes an easy start to their growing cycle. With average daily temps now hitting 85 degrees the vines and grapes have been signaled to grow. These warm days with our foggy mornings are perfect conditions for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

After many years, our winemaker Jim Adelman can walk the vineyards and pretty accurately predict the yields. His take on the coming harvest is Pinot Noir will be above average in yields while Chardonnay will be a bit below average.

One of the benefits of making wine, is that it never gets dull. Every harvest is a bit different. The 2022 harvest presented lots of challenges for our wine making team. Let’s hope 2023 is a bit easier on them!

Pinot Noir grapes at Bien Nacido Vineyard on Aug 4th going through veraison. Netting is used to keep the birds at bay. Harvest will be delayed a few weeks this vintage, but everything is looking good!