So rarely, when I am drafting this article for the fall Carneros Club shipment, do we find ourselves in mid-harvest. It is typically early September when I am tasked with the duty of writing this article, and at that time, harvest is just a prediction of timing and when we expect it to commence. With this year’s very hot March, an early growing season kicked off with vigorous spring growth in our vineyards. Today, we find ourselves harvesting many weeks earlier than normal, and while I write this article, we have just finished harvesting our 2026 Pinot Noir. In fact, as I am now hurriedly putting the finishing touches on this piece, I will soon be quick out the door to check on the results of last night’s harvesting.

On the subject of night-harvesting, I am often asked why so many vineyards harvest at night. Is it because it’s cooler? Is it a cost factor? Is it better for the grapes? Well, the decision to harvest is night is actually two-fold. First, when you harvest at night, the chances are best for the grapes to arrive to the winery and winemaker at their most ideal brix (sugar level). Naturally, even after being harvested, grape sugar levels rise throughout the heat of the day. Even if grapes were harvested in the morning, it is likely those same grapes will sit in a bin on a staging area or in a delivery truck for a long part of the day, and by the time they arrive to the winery, they could be higher in sugar than the winemaker originally desired. When harvested at night, the grapes are delivered by early morning to the winery where they could be processed right away without the risk of running up any sugars. The second reason for harvesting at night is the benefit of having a much friendlier environment for those working. It is much cooler at night (as opposed the sometime 90-100 degree days during harvest) and the biggest pest of the harvest season is non-existent: the Yellow Jacket. Yellow Jackets are always a nuisance during day-harvest (because of all the sweet grape juices to be found everywhere) and when harvesting at night, they are simply not around.

I certainly invite all of you to make an early morning trip to the wine country during harvest. It is truly a sight to see night-harvesting. Driving through the warm pre-dawn mornings, on empty wine country roads, and being surrounded by multiple vineyards lit-up by the night harvesting crews…there is something definitely magical about it. I look forward to seeing many of you at our upcoming Post-Harvest party on November 6th, 7th, & 8th, where you can have your first taste of our 2026 wines. Until then, I hope you enjoy the wonderful Roche wines included in this shipment.