Napa Glowing Wine Harvest Begins, Having Efficiently Weathered Frost, Hail and Drought
Winemaker Pauline Lhote Says Water Conservation and Fireplace Security Had been ‘Prime of Thoughts All Season’ and Praises 2022 for ‘Excessive High quality, Decrease Yield’
Napa Valley, August 4, 2022 – Glowing wine maker Chandon California formally and ceremoniously introduced the beginning of its glowing wine harvest as we speak, with Head Winemaker Pauline Lhote calling one of many first picks of Napa’s 2022 season. Grapes for California’s glowing wines are sometimes harvested sooner than these of nonetheless wines, and Chandon started harvesting grapes within the cool hours round midnight on Wednesday, bringing in virtually 30 tons of Chardonnay. Whereas Chandon usually harvests Chardonnay from its Yountville property winery first, this season’s uncommon climate patterns meant slower ripening in a number of vineyards and a barely delayed first choose from years previous. Gathering collectively along with her all-female winemaking staff to start harvest, Pauline joked, “In case you put apart frost, hail and drought, the 2022 rising season was beautiful!”
Despite these climate challenges, Winemaker Pauline Lhote and her staff are whole-heartedly excited concerning the top quality of the 2022 harvest, noting that they’re seeing cooler than common temperatures after veraison (starting of ripening), serving to to sluggish the method and protect the brilliant acidity and recent fruit characters that Chandon glowing wines are recognized for. “We’re seeing lovely brilliant acidity this 12 months, which is nice for glowing wines,” mentioned Pauline. “I’m excited concerning the distinctive fruit beginning to are available in, and this delicate climate round harvest is right for the event of superbly balanced aromas and flavors.”
Contemplating the impression of drought circumstances and an sudden summer season frost on this 12 months’s crop, Pauline can also be optimistic a couple of barely decrease grape yield this harvest. “Yearly is completely different within the vineyards, and similar to our colleagues at Chandon’s six wineries across the globe, we all know that scrumptious glowing wine is not only a matter of rising circumstances and harvest, but in addition a matter of expertise and experience throughout assemblage,” famous Pauline. “Whereas the crop dimension is smaller in some vineyards this 12 months, Chandon is extraordinarily lucky to have the ability to farm for high quality, not amount. What we misplaced in amount in 2022 we’ll make up for with glowing wines of outstanding acidity and scrumptious, top quality.”
Meticulous water administration utilizing a extra exact, automated strategy to irrigation was additionally employed this 12 months, with Chandon irrigating over 90% of its vineyards with recycled water to compensate for low reservoir ranges. Working intently with Napa Firewise, Ember Protection and Cal Fireplace, Chandon additionally took additional measures to make sure its lands and property had been fire-ready in 2022, including new fireplace break strains, extra clearings and state-of-the-art wildfire tools (FireBozz sprinklers). In keeping with Pauline, “As a part of the Napa and Sonoma wine neighborhood, we proceed to be extremely conscious of adjusting local weather circumstances in California, and saved water conservation and fireplace security high of thoughts all season.”
As one of many first glowing wineries within the U.S. – and the primary French-owned glowing wine home in Napa – Chandon continues to embrace innovation and alter because it prepares to have a good time its fiftieth harvest subsequent 12 months. Along with investing in new photo voltaic panels on the vineyard and all through its Carneros vineyards, Chandon launched into an formidable two-year challenge to replant with drought tolerant rootstocks throughout its three property vineyards, together with Carneros, Yountville and Mount Veeder. Pauline additionally started the creation of a brand new fiftieth anniversary cuvée to be launched as a vineyard unique in March 2023. The important thing to virtually 50 profitable years as a glowing wine pioneer in Napa, in response to Pauline, “Study from the previous and look in the direction of the longer term.”
