Precision Farming, Ideal Conditions Produce Concentrated Flavors for 2019 Napa Valley Harvest

By Wine Industry Advisor

With approximately 75% of total winegrapes harvested throughout Napa Valley, consensus among growers who spoke at the Napa Valley Grapegrowers (NVG) annual press conference today is that 2019 has been a smooth, balanced growing season and that the fruit shows superb flavors. The 15^th annual press conference, held at Cliff Lede Vineyards, was moderated by NVG CEO Jennifer Putnam and featured three dynamic industry leaders, reports the Wine Industry Advisor.

Jon Ruel, CEO of Trefethen Family Vineyards, said that he tasted the active red fermentations with Trefethen’s winemaker yesterday and the “concentrated flavors” of the 2019 vintage are emerging.

“The growing season was quite nice, with a lot of warmth, and that helped us catch up from what was a little bit of a cold, wet start,” said Ruel. “That nice, beautiful sunshine got us back on schedule with some pretty tasty grapes. The pace of harvest has been calm.”

Ruel also added that August was the warmest August since 2003, due to warmer evenings overall. This led to lower acidity in the grapes. “We pay attention to the chemistry of the grapes,” added Ruel. “We want to make sure we capture the natural acidity and get it into the bottle.”

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