Fall 2024
This year’s harvest came early, kicking off with the Syrah pick on September 3, followed by Zinfandel on the 13th and 14th. “The fruit is ripe with higher acidity, which we love for the natural freshness it brings to the wines. Petite Sirah and Peloursin are taking their sweet time, so they’re still on the vine,” Mike shares. As the first fermentations wind down, we’re taking a breather with our annual harvest party.
Grandmother Fig Tree:
If you’ve visited the winery, you’ve likely met “Grandmother Fig,” the old tree standing tall next to the winery. We believe she was planted in the 1890s, and every autumn, she amazes us with her generous harvest. This year, I turned some of her fruit into fig preserves, blending her Mission figs with Celeste figs from our home tree.
While I was up in the branches, a wave of nostalgia hit me—memories of a tire swing in another ancient fig tree at Paraduxx, where my family lived when we first moved to Napa Valley in 1972. I was just six years old, and that old tree made a lasting impression. I recently heard it fell in a windstorm, but for now, I’m grateful for Grandmother Fig and all the gifts these old trees continue to give.
Autumnal Equinox:
Living by the seasons is at the heart of what we do as grape growers. The autumnal equinox is especially meaningful, marking the moment our work in the vineyards comes to fruition. This year felt extra special with the bright glow of the “Full Harvest Moon.” As the days shorten and the earth tilts toward winter, we find our rhythm with the season—wrapping up fermentations and tucking the new vintage into barrels, ready for their long rest in the caves.