Harvest 2022 - Coming to a bottle near you!

Another harvest is winding down.  As October turns to November, roughly 98% of our grapes have come off the vine and only the fruit for those sturdy Stouck reds remains to be picked.  Soon, we’ll bid farewell to Allie, Emma and Rachel.  The three young future winemakers are moving on to next challenges after helping us through our busiest time of the year.

Looking back, 2022’s yields were reduced before the year even began, when a sudden early winter freeze impacted vines that had not yet acclimatized to cold weather.  The vineyards of Malivoire’s estate fared better than many, a benefit of their placement on the Bench where cold air rolls off more easily.

A good summer brought plenty of heat and sunshine, but higher humidity, always a friend to disease, needed higher vigilance.  The threat was averted, sustainably we might add; early and frequent leaf removal and trimming back trees on the peripheries of our vineyards ensured our vines’ fruit zones got the drying sun effect and airflow they needed.

In sum, although we have excellent grapes for wine, some yields are lower than last year.  Your chance to taste the first results comes early in the new year.

Written by: Eric Nixon
Posted by: Tammy Kruck