8 Reasons to Visit Napa Valley this Harvest Season
By Amber Gibson,
2024-08-09
Harvest season in Napa Valley is one of my favorite times to visit. It's sure to be busy, but so much fun. Grape harvest or “crush” runs from August through October, beginning with picking grapes for sparkling and white wines and finishing with red wine grapes, including Napa's calling card – Cabernet Sauvignon. It's always a lively and celebratory time of year, and you may even witness fresh grapes being sorted and crushed, at the beginning of their journey to becoming wine. The long hard toil of farming and vineyard management has literally come to fruition and now the ball is in the winemaker's court. Many wineries host signature events around this time of year that show off the estate and their wines. Winery owners and winemakers are usually in attendance and attendees have a chance to really connect in a joyous celebration of gratitude for Mother Nature. If you plan to visit Napa Valley this autumn, here are some events worth anchoring a trip around.
8 Reasons to Visit Napa Valley this Harvest Season
Clos du Val Harvest Farmers Market, October 6
Photo by Mike Battey
This family-friendly Sunday afternoon farmers market celebrates the height of harvest season with new wine releases and a number of local vendors selling hand-made candles, olive oil, floral arrangements and local honey. Guests enjoy the bounty of harvest while tasting wine, and enjoying live music and delicious food.
“ Our annual Harvest Farmers Market event is the perfect way to experience Napa Valley and Clos du Val at their fullest ,” says Clos du Val winemaker Carmel Greenberg. “ We bring together our wines with the expressions of other local artisans to give guests a snapshot of what makes our estate in the Stags Leap District of Napa Valley so special .”
Vintners Joey Wołosz and Jeff Durham invite you into the spectacular kitchen at their brand new bungalow in downtown Napa for an array of food and wine experiences, and let me tell you, these men can cook. The breakfast tasting is the most unique because very few Napa Valley wineries offer a wine and food experience this early in the morning. Expect gougères and personal soufflés hot from the oven, salmon rillette, seasonal jams, mustard made with their Chardonnay, and house cured pancetta bacon paired with their current release wines. Every meal is custom tailored for any dietary restrictions or preferences. Begin with a 5k run with Jeff along the riverfront and through downtown Napa before the wine country breakfast and tasting, or enjoy a guided morning meditation with Joey depending on how active or relaxed you prefer to start the day.
Napa Valley Wine Train is partnering with Grgich Hills Estate this fall to offer an unforgettable day of grape stomping, just as founder and winemaker Miljenko “Mike” Grgich remembers from his childhood in Croatia. The day begins with a leisurely ride on a recently renovated historic rail car where guests enjoy vineyard views and a multi-course lunch before arriving at Grgich Estate where it's time to get your feet dirty. After putting in some muscle, guests sample several of Grgich Estate's organically farmed reserve wines before boarding the train for dessert and coffee. This unique wine country experience is available exclusively during harvest season, from September 2 through October 25, Monday through Friday.
For an educational and technical crash course in winemaking, Cuvaison is hosting a second annual harvest experience on September 14 after the inaugural event was a roaring success last year. Only 40 tickets will be sold for this intimate experience with guests spending the afternoon in the vines and on the crush pad, working alongside Cuvaison's winemaking and cellar teams to learn grape harvesting techniques, sorting clusters before destemming and participating in punchdowns to help extract color and tannin from fermenting grapes.
“ Walking into the vineyard with a group of curious harvesters, my first thought was ‘my God, what have I agreed to? ’” says winemaker Steve Rogstad. “ But that quickly gave way to the enthusiasm they showed for harvesting the grapes with their little vine snippers and a friendly, slightly competitive foot stomp of the freshly picked Pinot Noir .” You're actively contributing to the creation of Cuvaison's 2024 vintage wines and after a long day's work, sit down and enjoy dinner at the Carneros estate paired with their portfolio of wines.
This LEED Gold Certified estate on Howell Mountain is known for their Cabernet Sauvignon and you can celebrate the 2024 vintage with winemaker Danielle Cyrot and the team at CADE Estate Winery on Saturday, October 19th for an afternoon of oysters, paella and wine – including their coveted 13 th Vineyard Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon – set against autumn's backdrop of brilliant golden yellow and orange hues across the valley floor as the aroma of fermenting grapes fills the air.
Toast the 2024 with Inglenook's winemaking team at one of Napa Valley's most historic wineries, owned by Francis Ford Coppola. Enjoy passed appetizers and live music before sitting down to a family-style dinner with wine pairings, including the debut of the winery's 2021 Rubicon . Inglenook's premier wine is a Bordeaux blend from the finest blocks on the organically farmed estate.
“ It’s so exciting to be in Napa Valley during harvest ,” says Inglenook's estate president Catherine Durand. “ There’s a distinctive fragrance in the air as all the wineries are crushing fruit and if you make a tasting appointment early in the day, you might catch the vineyard crews bringing in grapes .”
Carneros-based Bouchaine Vineyards is hosting a Spanish-themed crush party at their hospitality center overlooking the Bay. The event will feature a fun yet competitive Porron—Spanish wine pouring—competition, live music, some classic grape picking and stomping and T-shirt tie-dying using grape juice instead of traditional dye.
For BBQ lovers looking to celebrate harvest with finger-lickin’ bites and classic Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, Cliff Lede Vineyards is hosting a Harvest BBQ on October 13. Enjoy authentic Memphis Style Barbeque accompanied by all the fixings served by local favorite, The Q . Guests can play games and taste ripening grapes while learning about Cliff Lede’s unique combinations of clonal selections and rootstocks that make up its prized Stag Leap District vineyards.
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