Harvest has Officially Begun!

The first fruit of Harvest 2025 has arrived! In the early hours of Wednesday, August 27, the first clusters of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from Calesa Vineyard arrived on the crush pad, destined to become our Blanc de Noir sparkling wine. These were followed shortly by Viognier, Albariño, Pinot Noir (for Rosé), and Sauvignon Blanc.

We welcomed the season with our annual Blessing of the Grapes ceremony, an age-old tradition that symbolizes good luck and a bountiful harvest. Jim raised a toast to Bacchus, the Roman god of wine, while Curtis sabered a bottle of sparkling wine and poured it over the grapes. This ritual not only sets the tone for the season but also brings our team together, building camaraderie and excitement for the busy days ahead.

Last week, cooler weather slowed the ripening process for the clusters still on the vine, and now we are entering the waiting game. With warmer weather forecasted for later this week, several varietals are expected to reach phenolic ripeness soon, pushing us deeper into the heart of the harvest.

Here’s to another season of hard work, tradition, and exceptional wines. Cheers to Harvest 2025! 🥂

In The Vineyard

If you’ve ever planted a garden and grown your own fruits or vegetables, you know that crops don’t ripen or mature evenly. Grapevines and the clusters of grapes they produce behave in a similar manner. Fruit is harvested when it reaches “peak ripeness,” which is a balance of sugar, acidity, and structure.

At B Cellars, the responsibility for deciding when to harvest belongs to our winemaker, Kirk Venge. During this time of year, you’ll find Kirk walking through the vineyards, testing grapes with a refractometer and tasting berries from different rows and clusters. While science provides important indicators, such as sugar levels (Brix) and acidity, Kirk ultimately relies on his palate. He looks for harmony and balance, searching for the flavor that tells him, “This vineyard is ready.”

When the right moment arrives, the pick is carefully scheduled with our growers during the cool hours of the early morning. Picking at this time ensures they arrive at our crush pad before the day’s warmth sets in, where fermentation can start. It’s a delicate balance of timing and intuition, science and art. So the next time you enjoy a glass, remember: great wine begins with a walk in the vineyard and the art of knowing when nature is ready.

In The Winery

Our production team has been busy prepping for harvest – retiring old barrels and moving them out of the cave, receiving and painting new French oak barrels with Petite Sirah lees from the 2024 harvest, and cleaning production equipment. The great wall of 1/2 ton harvest bins is back, as well. When a vineyard is ready to harvest, we deliver these white bins to the vineyard ahead of time, and then they return to us filled with fruit. The wall is constantly being built up and taken down, but it’s impossible to miss when visiting the winery during harvest! With fruit arriving, we have also begun processing the grapes and moving the juice into tank where it will undergo fermentation. That sweet smell of fermentation is synonymous with Napa during the fall.