The 2021 Napa Valley growing season is here once again, and the grape harvest has begun. Since early spring, vineyard managers and crews have been working diligently to oversee the stages of bud break, flowering, cluster development, veraison, and final maturation while carefully protecting their crops any damaging influences.
Since August, with the harvest of sparkling wine and some early ripening white wine varieties, crews have worked day and night to gather the wine grapes at their peak of quality. Many red varieties remain on the vines longer, often into early November for Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, before reaching their flavorful maturity. Once picked, the grapes head directly to the crush pads at the wineries to be further processed and aged to become the delightful varietals and blends that we will enjoy in the future.
At the crush pads, crew members sort the grapes, separating the under ripe or damaged grapes, stems, and twigs.
However, harvest season represents far more than moving the grapes from the vineyards to the wineries for visitors to Wine Country California. Harvest season is a time of celebration, culminating another successful growing season and the beginnings of new vintages of many excellent wines.
What Else is Going on During Napa Valley’s Harvest?
While visiting wineries in Napa Valley is a delightful experience at any time of the year, the fall harvest season is special. The weather and scenery are magnificent as many of the businesses and communities of Napa Valley welcome guests with a wide variety of entertaining activities.
Many Napa Valley wineries conduct Harvest Parties for guests that feature excellent food, live entertainment, and, naturally, wine tastings of their superb wines.
Some events are very family-friendly, offering interactive learning sessions along with a variety of great activities.
Nightlife in Napa Valley also gains momentum throughout the Harvest Season. You can enjoy a full slate of top-notch entertainment during this period at the clubs and hotels throughout the region.
Take a Wine Tasting Tour
Harvest season is possibly the best time of the year to sign up for a professionally curated winery tour and wine tasting experience with Platypus Wine Tours of Napa. Whether you prefer a prearranged private tour for your friends and family or an equally enjoyable and safe join-in tour of some of the area’s many remarkable wineries, a Platypus Tour wine tasting tour is a joyous and memorable experience.
Conducted by Platypus Wine Tours professionals, the Wine Tours is a comfortable, enjoyable, and safe way to see Wine Country California and learn about the unique grape-growing advantages of Napa Valley. Participants will view the winemaking process closeup while observing the extreme care and diligence demanded during the growing season, many of the challenges that vintners face, and how winemakers approach each year’s harvest. You will learn some of the philosophies that differentiate each winemaker and their commitment to excellence.
And, of course, you will have an opportunity to sample various wines and learn a bit about the technical aspects of wine tasting.
Contact Platypus Wine Tours
Time is running out on harvest season in Napa Valley. To see the process close up, make your reservations with Platypus Wine Tours, headquartered in Napa, CA. Visit the Platypus website to learn more about Napa Valley and the Sonoma Region wineries and make your reservations.