The 2016 harvest has started!  Every year is different, with weather being a big determinant as to when harvest starts and which grapes ripen first.  The El Niño rains from earlier this year have resulted in higher yields than in 2015 (thank goodness!) and, so far, the grapes seem to be consistently balanced and flavorful.

Zinfandel

Zinfandel: Primary Fermentation

Last week, we harvested one ton of Zinfandel from Stan’s Vineyard in the Santa Clara Valley AVA.  The juice is now in fermenters and the yeast is busy converting sugar to alcohol.

Tomorrow, we will pick Pinot from Clos Madrone and William Vincent, two high elevation vineyards (1600’) in the Summit Road area of Los Gatos.  We’ll post some photos so you can for yourself how beautiful the grapes are!

Harvest will continue through September since we still have Chardonnay, Cabernet, Merlot, Syrah, and Malbec to pick.