With the exception of Matt Gardner at Keenan picking Chardonnay, it’s all quiet on Spring Mountain. Last week many of us were hoping we’d be harvesting by last Friday, Sept. 15, but Mother Nature had other ideas. While the cool weather is wonderful for most of us, our grapes want

We’re pretty much into a Goldilocks weather pattern where it’s not too hot and it’s not too cool — it’s just right. And with this weather, harvest may start soon on Spring Mountain. Matt Gardner at Keenan, Michaela Kelly at Stony Hill, Nancy Walker at School House and Smith-Madrone are

The 2023 vintage seems to be joining many of the past vintages for being another strange year. There are few if any blocks on Spring Mountain that have finished veraison, let alone mature enough to even think about harvesting. Spring Mountain Vineyard is still waiting for their Sauvignon Blanc to

We’re inching ever forward with harvest. Veraison is advancing as it should, with clusters having fuller deep red color, and the berries are beginning to soften. However we are still far from completing veraison. While the Cabernet Franc is starting to show some light pink color, our attention has been

The consensus of Matt Gardner at Keenan, Ron Rosenbrand at Spring Mountain Vineyard, Andy Schweiger at Schweiger Vineyards, and myself is that harvest will start about three weeks later than normal. We’re all looking at starting about the end of the second week in September. There’s no veraison in the

The frantic tempo that preceded and continued during the hot spell has slowed to match the great weather. Many of the Spring Mountain District wineries who thought they’d be finished now are merrily harvesting when the time seems just right. Most, but not all, will be finished by this week’s

The rain scrubbed away all that dust, and with moderate temperatures it’s a Chamber of Commerce picture-perfect harvest. Everyone on Spring Mountain will be harvesting their reds this week. The waiting is over. As Wes Steffens at 7 & 8 said, ‘It’s game on this week.’ Ron Rosenbrand at Spring

Most on Spring Mountain waited out the heat spell and are just now starting to harvest their reds. Frank Schaeffer at York Creek Vineyards says, ‘The fruit looks great.’ Matt Sherwin says, ‘The fruit is maturing nicely.’ Matt will also wait another week or so before starting his reds. Frank

The 2022 harvest is starting out very similar to the 2021 harvest with Bergman Family Winery, Keenan, Schweiger, Smith-Madrone and Spring Mountain Vineyards and Stony Hill all finishing their whites by Sept. 2. The Schweigers will also have finished their Pinot Noir. Unfortunately, nature has thrown some curve balls at

Stu Smith’s last 2021 harvest report for the Spring Mountain District for The St. Helena Star: Just three wineries are still harvesting on the mountain and none seem to be in any hurry to finish. Matt Sherwin reports that they’re about two-thirds done, but are holding out for some warmer