Season Update

As we head into August, veraison is well underway here at our Estate Vineyard. For those who don’t live in the vines like we do, veraison is the stage when Pinot Noir grapes begin changing from green to red and purple, signaling the beginning of their final push toward ripeness.

We first started seeing color around July 1st, and the vineyard has continued moving steadily through veraison ever since. This is much different from last year, when we entered August still waiting for color to finish. Although the cool weather during June and July slowed the vines down somewhat, the 2026 season is still running about two or three weeks ahead of 2025.

The picture of this Pinot Noir cluster was taken on July 23rd of 2025 and is in our Estate vineyard.

The season got off to an early start after warm stretches during the spring pushed budbreak and vine development forward. Despite receiving decent winter rainfall overall, January and February were unusually dry. Soil moisture was lower than we would normally like heading into the growing season, so we began irrigating about a month earlier than usual to keep the vines healthy and the canopy growing evenly.

Then June brought us back to a more familiar Green Valley pattern. The month was unusually cold and foggy, with slow mornings, moderate afternoons and cool nights. July continued with plenty of marine influence from the Pacific. That cool weather helped preserve acidity and slowed sugar development, but it was not enough to erase the head start we gained during spring.

The picture of this Pinot Noir cluster was taken on July 23rd of 2026 and is in our Estate vineyard. Compared to 2025 you can see how much more color we have!

The other major story this year is the size of the crop. Bloom arrived during a stretch of inconsistent weather that included cool temperatures, wind and periods of rain. These conditions contributed to some shatter and smaller clusters throughout Sonoma County. Our early cluster and berry-weight samples are coming in at below average, pointing toward a lighter Estate Pinot Noir crop.

With a smaller crop, there can be an upside in the finished wine. The vines have less fruit to ripen, creating a favorable balance between the healthy canopy and the crop. The smaller clusters and berries may also give us more concentration, color and structure. With less fruit hanging on the vines, ripening can move quickly once temperatures increase, so we will be watching the vineyard closely throughout August.

This past month, we completed a targeted green drop throughout the Estate Vineyard. A green drop is a final round of cluster thinning performed during veraison. We walk each row and remove clusters that are still completely green, ripening unevenly or noticeably behind the rest of the fruit.

Pinot Noir does not always ripen uniformly, and clusters that remain green this late in the season may never fully catch up. Removing them reduces variability and allows the remaining fruit to reach harvest with more consistent color, flavor and maturity.

Because this year’s crop is already light, our green drop was very selective. The goal was not simply to reduce the yield, but to remove lagging fruit and protect the overall quality of the Estate Pinot Noir.
These green clusters were removed because they were developing behind the rest of the vineyard. This selective thinning helps create more consistent ripeness at harvest.

Based on the current pace, we expect to begin harvesting our Estate Pinot Noir around the very end of August. The exact timing will depend heavily on August weather and how quickly sugars, acidity and flavors develop. A warmer stretch could move things forward quickly, while continued fog and moderate temperatures would give us a little more hang time.

The 2026 season has already given us plenty to think about: an early start, a cold and foggy June, and a lighter crop than we have seen in recent years. Fortunately, the vines remain healthy, the canopy looks strong and the fruit is developing beautifully. Now we watch, sample and wait as the vineyard moves through the final stretch toward harvest.

On behalf of the entire team here at River Road Family Vineyard and Winery, we wish you all continued good health.