The most exciting time of the year is here! Jenny Heinzen is revealing a behind-the-scenes look at harvest across the Paso Robles American Viticultural Area (AVA) alongside leading growers and viticulture professionals. So, here's what you need to know:
Essential Highlights
- Timing: Harvest hit about 1-2 weeks earlier than years past.
- Weather & Yield: Warmer summer temperatures and sustained highs combined with a lack of rainfall are leading to smaller cluster sizes and overall yield.
- Taste & Profitability: More concentrated tannin makes for exceptionally high-quality wine, but isn't as ideal on the business end.
Harvest Operations
While every vineyard and winery is different, whites are often harvested earlier in the season and grapes with lower sugar content, like Cabernet Sauvignon, are last to be picked. Here in Paso Robles wine country, we traditionally harvest overnight to take advantage of cooler temperatures. The goal is to control quality—reducing the amount of time harvested fruit is exposed to the sun. Cooler fruit prevents additional fermentation before arriving at the winery while saving energy costs.
Vineyard Professional Services (VPS) Snapshot
At VPS, the pride in our work is reflected out in the vineyard. Every decision counts from pruning and water applications to fertilizers. Ultimately the investments an owner or grower makes reveals itself when it's time to harvest the fruit. The first pick of this year's harvest started off Estrella Road at 3:00am with a young Sauvignon Blanc block that produced its first fruit at 3 years old.
We don't take our hardworking team for granted. Each morning (or night) of a pick, we conduct a safety meeting and review what's ahead. Harvest workers often wake up at 2:00am or earlier to pick fruit for 5-7 hours, lifting 50lb bins along the way. It's a process that requires a ton of effort and dedication—but it's all worth it to produce your favorite glass of wine!
Paso Robles Vineyard Real Estate
Jenny Heinzen brings over two decades of vineyard and winery real estate expertise to wine industry clients, investment funds, and high-net-worth individuals. As the broker and owner of Vineyard Professional Real Estate, she leads a team with more than $758 million in total sales volume. Count on Jenny and the VPRE team to help you achieve your real estate goals.
Connect with Jenny at [email protected].
