Harvest season is a busy time for
Napa Valley wineries, filled with both hard work and fun events. It’s also the most popular time of year to visit Napa Valley, but if you won’t be able to make it this year, we’ve got you covered. From the harvesting process to the parties at the end of the season, here are the best Instagram photos of the grape harvest in action.
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There’s nothing more exciting for a winemaker than finding the first grapes of the harvest. Peju Winery is all ready for harvest season to begin.
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To know if a grape has reached optimal maturity, you have to look inside the fruit. Here, one of Mt. Brave Wine’s vineyard artisans shows how to check a seed for ripeness.
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This photo gives a close-up view of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes being pressed. Soon, that juice will be fermented and clarified.
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During harvest time, Napa Valley’s vineyards are green as far as the eye can see. These fields are full of grapes that are ready to be picked.
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The beautiful Castello di Amorosa, a winery with an authentic Tuscan castle, is getting ready for harvest season. Their barrels are all in, and now they just need wine to fill them.
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These grapes at Blackbird Vineyards are all ready to be picked as harvest season begins. Soon, they’ll be made into delicious bottles of red wine.
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On the first day of Cabernet Sauvignon season, the workers at Vineyard 7&8 expertly sort the newly picked grape harvest.
Now that these red grapes are completely crushed, they’re all ready to begin the fermentation stage of the wine-making process.
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Before releasing their newly created wines to the public, winemakers get to do the fun part of their job: taste testing the wine.
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The work day starts early during the busy harvest time. In this photo, workers bring cartons of red grapes into the McGah Family Vineyards at four in the morning.
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Grape stomping is one of the most fun and unique harvest time activities for visitors to Napa Valley. Here, a visitor to Sterling Vineyards shows off her newly stomped grapes.
This winemaker is using a rapid filler to fill up barrels with newly fermented wine. At the end of the harvest, wineries have rows and rows of new barrels of wine.
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Sinegal Estate’s red grapes are fully grown and ready to be made into a delicious Cabernet Sauvignon. The next step will be crushing them, and then they’ll be ready to be fermented.
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Even dogs get excited when it’s harvest time in Napa Valley. Here, a pup and his owner model a cabaret Sauvignon from Oakville Winery.
Even the smallest grape has valuable juice inside it! This little red grape will used to make a Cabernet Sauvignon.
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Quintessa Winery is all set up for their harvest party. Throughout the harvest season, wineries frequently have parties where they debut their new wines.
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The table is set for a fun harvest party at Chiarello Vineyards. There all kinds of parties during harvest season, from intimate gatherings with close friends to huge celebrations thrown for the whole Napa Valley community.
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Guests at the Monticello Vineyards release party got the unique experience of watching an expert barrel maker create a new barrel. The barrel was then used to ferment Merlot.
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Like many wineries, Kenzo Estate throws a fall release party where both visitors and members of the Napa Valley are invited to try their new wines.
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There’s more to do at harvest parties than just drink wine. Harvest parties often feature local bands who play late into the night.
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ZD Wines is all set for their end-of-harvest lunch in the vineyard. The harvest can be a long and busy time for wineries, and owners often treat their employees to a celebration at the end.
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At the Steltzner Vineyard Harvest Party, winemaker Bob Pepi is toasted by one of his guests for his successful harvest.
When harvest season rolls around, Napa Valley becomes filled with activities and events. If you’re thinking about visiting Napa Valley during harvest season, these photos give a hint of what to expect.
Author
WineCountry Collective
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