A chorus of popping corks signaled the beginning of this year's harvest, as our vineyard crews delivered 3 tons of Pinot Noir grapes (from the Krause Vineyard in Los Altos Hills) and 2.5 tons of Chardonnay (from the Boyd Vineyard on Montebello) that will become Picchetti's 2012 Santa Cruz Mountains sparkling wine. Grapes used for making "bubbly" are harvested several weeks ahead of those crushed for still wines, because they can be picked at lower sugar levels. After two years of very mild summers, 2012 has been a dream season for California's wine growers, producing abundant canopies, large clusters of grapes, and great optimism for a spectacular vintage. Declaring the commencement of the harvest season, our winemaker, Aimee Baker, ceremonially whacked off the top of a bottle of bubbly from our 2011 vintage with a curved-edge saber (a tradition that dates back to Napoleonic times), and poured the foaming contents over the freshly harvested grapes. Stay tuned for further updates on this bountiful harvest and new wine releases!
