Harvest & Cellar Update from our Winemaker

June 18, 2026

As we move into summer, the vineyard is looking healthy and full of promise. While harvest may still seem a long way off, this is one of the most important times of the growing season.

The vines have completed flowering and fruit set, and clusters are now developing steadily throughout the vineyard. Our vineyard management team is busy with canopy management–carefully positioning shoots and leaves to ensure the fruit receives the right balance of sunlight and airflow. These practices help promote even ripening and maintain the quality we strive for in every vintage.

The cellar has been equally busy. In early June, we bottled several wines, including our Cuvée Fredericka, Pinot Noir Blanc, Spanish Springs Chardonnay, White Label Pinot Noir, Straw Bale Red, and our special 40th Anniversary Jubiläum. With those wines safely in bottle, we're now cleaning and preparing the barrels that were emptied during the bottling process.

Later this month, we'll be hand-bottling our sparkling wine, one of the most labor-intensive and rewarding projects of the year. We're also deep into blending trials for the 2025 vintage, currently evaluating five different Pinot Noir blends to determine which lots best express the character of the vintage and deserve a place in our final bottlings.

Back in the vineyard, the berries will continue to grow before entering veraison, the stage when grapes begin to soften and change color. Once veraison begins, we'll start closely monitoring sugar levels, acidity, and flavor development as we prepare for harvest decisions later this summer.

For now, our focus remains on nurturing the fruit in the vineyard while carefully guiding the wines in the cellar. It's an exciting time of year, and we're looking forward to seeing how the 2026 growing season–and the wines of the 2025 vintage–continue to evolve.

Cheers,

Zack Geers
Winemaker