The 2024 harvest is officially underway in Napa Valley, with grapes for white and sparkling wines picked first, and producers starting work from 5 August. Winemakers in Napa Valley have been watching and waiting for their grapes for white and sparkling wines to reach ripeness, with many starting to harvest during the first week in August. This start date falls in line with previous vintages, though is “on the earlier side of average,” according to Ashely Egelhoff, winemaker at Honig Vineyard & Winery. First to pick in Napa this year was Round Pond Estate on 5 August, with PEJU and Mumm Napa both following suit on 6 August. The first two early starters are located in the heart of Rutherford AVA, while Mumm has vineyards in Carneros AVA. This year saw Sauvignon Blanc, as well as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir destined for sparkling wine, picked first in Napa Valley, with Jeff Plant, winemaker for Round Pond lauding the quality of its Chardonnay grapes in particular. “The brix came in exactly where we wanted for our Blanc de Blancs and sparkling brut, right between 18.3 and 18.7 brix with beautiful acidity and TA between 10.5 g/L and 11.5 g/L,” he said. PEJU brought in its first load of Sauvignon Blanc grapes on 6 August, grown in southeast Napa. “It tastes fantastic and we’re loving the quality of what we’re seeing. Harvest is happening!” said Sara Fowler, vice president of winemaking and operations. Mumm’s the word Mumm Napa, an outpost of Champagne’s
This Article was originally published on The Drink Business - Wine
