Harvest season is in full swing at Damiani! Thanks to the warm weather we’ve experienced throughout the summer, the grapes are ripening early and fast. While the remnants of Hurricane Debby brought a couple of particularly rainy days in early August, we’ve otherwise enjoyed minimal rainfall and a lot of sunshine. Our harvest began on August 27th, making it our earliest harvest on record by three days.
The first grapes we brought in were Pinot Noir for sparkling wine. As grapes mature in response to heat and sunlight, Brix levels (sugar content) rise while acidity falls. Grapes for sparkling wine need to be harvested on the earlier end of that progression to preserve brightness and acidity. Every year, we continue our tradition of “blessing the grapes” by pouring some of an old vintage on top of freshly harvested Pinot Noir. The blessing serves not only to symbolically introduce the new and old vintages but more directly to acknowledge the astounding work everyone has put into bringing these grapes into the winery. It’s as much a “thank you” as it is a blessing. Opening a bottle of sparkling is a perfect way to do both, so it’s fitting that the harvest cycle typically begins with our sparkling grapes.
As the Pinot Noir grapes continue to ripen, the bright, confectionary-like flavor evolves into marmalade, strawberry & cherry, and red fruit; in later stages, you get to earth and spice. We’re seeing that development now, in mid-September, earlier than usual. During this stage, we harvest the grapes that will become Pinot Noir, Pinot Noir Reserve, and our Sole e Terra blend. Since we can’t always count on warm, dry summers in the Finger Lakes, our growing practice includes steps to concentrate flavor and accelerate fruit maturation. Around July, we start cutting off underdeveloped clusters so the plant can send more energy and nutrients to the strong ones. We also remove leaves and sections of vine to expose the fruit to more direct sunlight. These leafing decisions are a bit of a gamble. If we don’t clear enough, a colder August can produce underdeveloped fruit; if we clear too much, a hot August can loosen the skins too quickly and “sunburn” the grapes before they are ready for harvest. This year, we got it just right, and we’re seeing a large yield packed with sweetness and character.
Even with the fruit coming in faster than usual this year, our hard-working vineyard crew, led by grower Phil Davis, got it covered with help from Nancy, Taylor, Cian, and others. Meanwhile, our winemaker, Katey Larwood, has been busy sorting the fruit, stomping, and starting fermentation, all with help from Alex and Lauren, our harvest intern. We’ll keep up this pace until at least mid-October, and as always, the promise of another excellent vintage keeps us going. That being said, wishing our harvest crew a little extra energy this month couldn’t hurt!
