One of the highlights for any wine buff is watching all the activities that take place during the harvest. The Napa Valley is one of the best spots for viewing the “crush” because of the number of vineyards and wineries in such a concentrated area. If you spend a few days in the Napa Valley from mid-September through October, you are likely to see all the harvest activities: the grape picking, the sorting table, crushing, and fermentation. It is the Napa Valley at its best for the tourist. Start making your plans now to watch the most exciting show in the world of wine.
We have some tips for getting the most out of harvest in the Napa Valley. One of the most educational activities you can do is to take a tour. The best one by far that we have done is the Harvest Tour at Hendry. We have taken this tour three times with none other than the legendary George Hendry, guiding us through his vineyards and winery. On the vineyard walk, we love watching George select some grapes and chew them; pondering for a moment, and then announcing these grapes have about a week to go before harvest. We just received our notice about this year’s Hendry Harvest tours. They will run from Monday, September 6th to Sunday, October 10th, at 10 am. and 2 pm. Reservations are required. Unbelievably, there are no fees for this tour. Enjoy the tour and buy some Hendry wine as a thank you.
If you want to watch the actual harvesting of the grapes, you’ll need to get up just before sunrise. Picking of the grapes is done early before the heat of the day. Drive the Valley and look for signs of the harvest. Look for several cars parked on the side of the road, half-ton bins ready to be filled, or small harvest baskets at the ready, as well as tractor trucks. More than likely harvest will be taking place in deep in the vineyards. Bring you camera and walk into the vineyards; when you spot the workers, ask the foreman if it is okay to take pictures.
During the day, stop in at any tasting room and ask about the crush activities. The staff usually knows what harvest activities are taking place at their winery and what is in store for the following couple of days. Our strategy is to stop at a winery, initially bypass the tasting room and walk to the where the crush facilities are located to see what activities are taking place. No one really seems to care that you are there as long as you stand back far enough not to get in the way. Everyone is working so intensely that you will hardly be noticed.
This is a favorite time for tourists, so plan ahead. If you want to spend any length of time, be sure to book your accommodations early. But often, just going up for the day will be fun enough. Keep posted to the comments on this blog post for up-to-date information or check with the blog at the Napa Valley Vintners Association Website. Enjoy and don’t forget to pack that camera.
