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Finally, veraison. As it’s so late this year, it’s all everyone’s been talking about.
This is the same vineyard in Oakville that I’ve been featuring all this season.

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In these vineyard updates, I’ve never intimated that I am an expert on viticulture, vineyard management or winegrowing. Because I am not.

In fact, I am on more of the sales & marketing side of the wine industry. And I like it there.

With these updates, as with this whole site, my aim is to give you a glimpse of what I experience living in the Napa Valley.

But in this update, I wanted to share a bit more detail on what is happening in the vineyards. Because it’s interesting (at least I think so).

In the photos below, you’ll see grape bunches containing green grapes, purple grapes and all sorts of shades in between. This color variation is due to a phase of berry growth (did you non-wine industry readers know grapes are called berries?) called veraison.

You can read more about the technical aspects of veraison here.

Simply, veraison is the term used to describe the point at which the green, unripe grapes begin to change color to purple on their way to ripening. The process is akin to an unripe, green tomato becoming increasingly more and more red, until it’s ready to be picked.

And, just as it’s exciting to see that tomato grow, ripen and become a caprese salad, veraison is an amazing time.

Not only does it signal that summer is beginning to wind down, but also that the always-much-anticipated harvest time is coming.

Plus it’s pretty.

These photos were taken near Crane Park in Saint Helena: