Save for a few rows delayed by rain, vineyard picking is all but done. To recap, August rainy days delayed the start of harvest, but a warm, sunny September made up for lost time. Chardonnay and pinot noir for sparkling wines were taken first, then pinot noir for rosé, then the pace picked up as other white varieties, beginning with pinot gris, reached ripeness.
Most whites, and some red varieties, have finished fermenting, and new wines are settling in barrel or tank. Other, fuller reds will go to barrel after a few more days on the skins.
Outside, only later-ripening reds like cabernet sauvignon, plus gewürztraminer held for Late Harvest dessert wine, remain to be picked. With winter on the horizon, young vines are being “hilled over” for protection, while tractors and other vineyard equipment are serviced for winter storage.
The first wines of 2023 should be bottled in February. What to expect? A variable-weather year like this always leaves its signature. The fruit of the new vintage is characterized by medium sugars, firm acids and robust skins. This will build wines of moderate alcohol, fresh texture and vivid fruit flavours.
Look for the first of them in the first half of spring.