EVENING HARVESTS: THOMAS SHARES WHY IT MATTERS
As the fall days shorten and the vineyard shifts into its final stages of harvest, our team has been navigating the delicate balance between weather, timing, and fruit quality. Since we experienced heavier rains this harvest season, careful decisions have been needed in the vineyard, especially for our Pinot Noir and Marquette grapes.
“The reason that we picked late tonight was because we were trying to let the Pinot Noir and Marquette dry as much as possible with all this rain we’ve been having this week. Also, I feel that it’s better to pick into bins while it’s cooler outside. The clusters tend to hold better in cooler temperatures than in the middle of the day with full sun and heat hitting the bins. If that happens, the clusters start to get soft and squish down into the bins.”
By choosing cooler evenings for picking, we preserve the integrity of each cluster, ensuring the grapes arrive at the winery in optimal condition. This attention to detail is part of what makes every Bel Lago vintage a reflection of both the land and the craft of our team.
“We are still harvesting, but should be done next week. There’s only Cab Franc and Merlot left. The canopy is going down every day.”
As we wrap up harvest, the sight of vines slowly shedding their leaves signals the end of another season of growth, patience, and careful stewardship. Every grape picked represents months of nurturing, observation, and hands-on care, a labor of love that will soon translate into the wines our guests know and love.
Stay tuned for more updates as we move into pressing, fermentation, and the exciting next steps in the journey from vineyard to bottle.
