Top stories of 2023 #6: 2023 Napa Valley harvest begins
By Sasha Paulsen
As 2023 draws to a close, we're dedicating the final two weeks to a retrospective countdown of the year's most-read stories. Spanning a broad spectrum of subjects, these pieces mirror the varied curiosities of our audience and pave the way for an exciting 2024. Join us as we revisit these highlights.
Original run date: Aug. 15, 2023
NAPA VALLEY, Calif. — Steve Matthiasson at Matthiasson Winery delivered eight tons of grenache and syrah grapes to Bin to Bottle custom crush in Napa on Tuesday morning, signaling the start of the 2023 harvest.
The grapes, from Dunnigan Hills vineyards in Yolo County, are destined for a Matthiasson rosé.
“Steve is always first,” said Bin to Bottle co-owner John Wilkinson, who greeted the arrival of the first grapes at his facility with a sparkling wine toast with his team as well as Matthiasson’s cellarmaster, JJ Nab, and assistant winemaker Dan Blakely. “He often beats sparkling grapes.”
Sparkling wine grapes typically kick off the harvest, followed by white wine grapes, then red.
“Stylistically we like to harvest at a lower Brix (sugar level) than many other wineries,” he said.
These grapes were harvested at 17 Brix.
The climate in Yolo County is warmer from Napa County, which has experienced a mild summer, leading to a later harvest date than last year.
“It’s running three to four weeks behind in Napa Valley,” Wilkinson said. “There are vineyards that have not yet completed veraison,” when the grapes change color from green to red or gold.
The warmer temperatures predicted for this week might speed things up, he added.
Comparisons have been made to the late start of harvest in 2011, but most grape-growers agree that the basic rule is “every year is different.”
Wilkinson said some growers were dropping fruit early and leafing to get grapes more sun exposure, but “you can only do some much with what Mother Nature gives you.”
“People had better remember how to make lower-alcohol wines,” he said.
Sasha Paulsen is a journalist and novelist who lives in Napa.
