Harvest Update: 25 August, 2026

The 2026 vintage for AVA (American Viticultural Area) Saint Helena is extraordinarily early for the Sauvignon Blanc and other white varietals.  The quality looks very good with less far less quantity than a vast majority of vintages.  Varozza Vineyards normally produces 4 tons for Hourglass Winery, and uses the rest for their own label; but this year they did not even get 4 tons.

On a personal note, this will be my first vintage since 1981 of not producing a Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc thanks to a large inventory of recent previous years.  

The Bordeaux red grapes are a couple weeks behind and looking lighter.  

Jack Varozza has picked his light crop of Zinfandel, and is picking Malbec the evening of August 25 for a rose (cannot do the accent to make is “rose-say”!).  

No two vintages are ever the same!

Written by Tom Rinaldi, Patent Wines, published in Napa Valley Register