The growing season is off to a great start, with a moderate to warm spring allowing things to start slowly, and vineyards requiring very little watering thus far. For our team, harvest will be here before they know it – and they’re in the thick of preparing to bring in another bountiful crop beginning around mid-August.
Courtesy of Red Willow Vineyards
In the first week of June, Winemakers Nick Bernstein and Mari Rossi visited the vineyards to meet with growers to discuss goals for specific blocks, and the general harvest plan. Our team will continue to visit and monitor individual block progress into the beginning of harvest and throughout.
For our winemakers, each vintage is an opportunity to seek out ways to improve our wines through strategic experimentation in the cellar. One trial scheduled this year is related to extended maceration during fermentation to determine the ideal length of skin contact for our red wine blocks.
Beginning in July, the winemaking team will receive nearly 900 new French oak barrels for the 2025 harvest season. A big focus for the team will be organizing all of the barrels based on the wine they will eventually cradle.
An all-year-round job for the team gets kicked into high gear as we approach harvest. Each year, the team brings in nearly 900 tons of fruit, and to make sure it goes smoothly, all of the harvest, cellar, and lab equipment must be cleaned and tested.
A large portion of this month is dedicated to assessing and racking all of the 2024 red wines. The barrels are tasted by our winemaking team, who make note of their ageing progress and determine the best treatment for each lot. If racking is needed, the wine is moved from the barrel into a temporary tank, and each barrel is thoroughly cleaned to remove any sediment. The wine is then transferred back into the barrel it was previously in or to a new barrel, if the winemakers recommend any adjustments to oak aging.
All of the interns will learn the ins and outs of the DeLille winery, how we do things in the cellar, and will receive training on all of the equipment. In the last couple of weeks before harvest, there is a major cleaning push to ensure all of the equipment is ready.
Shoot thinning is implemented when shoots become overcrowded, do not have fruit, or grow in the wrong direction. These shoots are removed from the vine. This process not only makes the vines look picture-perfect but also ensures that the clusters receive the optimal amount of sunlight and air exposure.
Courtesy of Red Willow Vineyards
Courtesy of Red Willow Vineyards
