Vintage 2026: Veraison

We generally know when our grapes begin to ripen, but this year it seemed to be a little late until we went to the vineyard 3 days ago and found that our Auxerrois was beginning to enter veraison, which is the first stages of ripening. Axerrois is a white variety so signs of ripening include softness to the touch and a change in color from dark green to a chartreuse green. In a typical year, the Auxerrois ripens first. This year, we saw signs of bird pecking on our Auxerrois, which is a sure sign of sugar accumulation and a signal to us to get the nets in place to protect the grapes from the birds!

While we were netting the Auxerrois, we noticed that the few Cabernet Sauvignon vines that are in the Auxerrois were changing color. For a red variety like Cabernet Sauvignon, that is the visual sign of veraison. So, we went to check on our red grapes and the Cabernet Sauvignon as well as the Barbera are just beginning to change color.

The grapes are giving us our marching orders! Get the nets in place!