Winemaker's Journal

July

Grapes grow to their peak size in the July heat.

As the California summer heats up during July, the berries grow to their full size and we can estimate the size of this year's crop. By the end of this month, some of the grapes should turn from green to red - approaching the phase known as veraison, which will indicate that the harvest is about forty-five days away.

The cellars are quiet now. We have completed the bottling of the 2005 Cabernets, and now we are topping off the barrels of the 2006 and 2007 wines - to replace what was lost through evaporation. We are also keeping up with equipment maintenance and preparing for harvest.

July is a tranquil month in the cellars. Some might call it the calm before the storm; I prefer to think of it as the lull before the party.