2023 A Vintage Like No Other

Winter

Rain, and plenty of it… From severe drought conditions at the end of the 2022 wine grape harvest to unprecedented and consistent rain totals throughout California leading into the 2023 growing season. Many vineyard areas noted all-time records for rain totals.

Spring

Most of the early spring weather was sheltered with cool rainy weather, and towards the end of March an unprecedented snow storm blanked the hills of Northern California with measurable and lasting snow. This cooler weather transpired during what is normally viewed as the Bud Break period (mid-March to mid-April).Bud Break: soil temperature stands as the most important factor influencing grapevines from dormancy. Moist soils tend to maintain lower temperatures compared to dry soils. Consequently, the onset of bud break and the progression of vine growth were delayed from normal by 2 to 3 weeks. So even before the grapes berries were developing on the vines, the 2023 Wine Grape Harvest was delayed. At this point, many were convinced that the late-Spring and Summer months would provide warmth and sunshine to reel-in the seemingly late Harvest start.

Summer to Fall
Summer's warm embrace in Northern California, for the most part, never materialized.

Consistent mild weather through the period further slowed grapevine maturity. Flowering to grape berry set typically lasts 7-14 days, and this year it took its time and ended up >21 days.

Grape berry development to veraison (i.e., berry color change and the point at which the precious sugar begins to accumulate) took its sweet time as well. In years past, the early vineyards start showing color change around the 4 ^th of July, and 2023 didn’t reveal its ripening grapes until late July and early August.

The commencement of the harvest season for early-ripening grapes, particularly those used in the production of sparkling wines, typically occurs from early to mid-August. However, this year, the harvest began 15 to 30 days later than usual.

This trend persisted until mid-October for the majority of still white and red wine varieties. Persistent cool weather and a few episodes of rain kept the grape maturation gradual throughout September and into October.

The curveball, a late heatwave… Just as vintners were pondering if there was going to be a harvest, Mother Nature had one more surprise in store. This unexpected event had a silver lining that prompted vines to focus on ripening their grapes, leading to concentrated flavors and sugars. While challenging, it ultimately turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
Although not over, early evaluations imply that this vintage could be one for the record books. You can look forward to a diverse selection of exceptional wines from the 2023 vintage.
The 2023 wine grape harvest in Northern California will be remembered as a year of resilience, where nature threw some unexpected challenges at the vineyards, and the wine industry responded appropriately.

It’s funny to imagine that the wine grape harvest might merge with the ski season.