Sonoma County Also Slow to Start
As we’ve seen in other areas of the state this year, color spotter Risa Wyatt reports that on Oct. 11, Sonoma County areas were just starting to show at 0-10%.
Late but great, she says—That’s how vintners assess the 2023 grape harvest in Napa and Sonoma Counties. Because of the cool growing season and foggy mornings, harvest began in late August, about three weeks later than usual. But the slow ripening—called “long hang time” by winemakers—allowed the grapes to develop more complex and intense flavors. Visitors to both Napa and Sonoma in October will see crews picking in the fields and trucks hauling tons of fruit to wineries. As they drive through the valleys, they’ll also relish the smell of grapes being crushed and fermented. Like the grapes themselves, color change of the leaves is running behind schedule. Vines and trees are just starting to burst into autumnal hues.
Viansa Winery / Sonoma
In 1895, Samuele Sebastiani emigrated from Italy to Sonoma, opening a winery nine years later. Today, the fourth generation of his family runs Viansa, set on a hilltop overlooking a 97-acre wetland preserve. Viansa honors the family heritage with both its Tuscan-style architecture and offerings of Italian grape varieties such as Arneis, Bianchetta Trevigiana, and Barbera, as well as California classics such as Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. Although the grape leaves are just starting to change color, the ivy on the buildings has taken on autumnal hues.
Cornerstone Sonoma / Sonoma
Although the grape harvest is running late, jack-o’-lanterns and their friends are right on schedule. Tapping into the seasonal spirit, Cornerstone Sonoma features colorful gourds in all shapes and sizes as well as a fanciful Pumpkin House—the nursery-rhyme pumpkin eater never had so plush an abode. Cornerstone also offers a cornucopia of shops, tasting rooms, and gardens, as well as the Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand awarded restaurant, Folktable.
Abbot’s Passage / Glen Ellen
Some trees just gotta be first—like these maples that stand in chromatic contrast to the vines at Abbot’s Passage. The winery reflects the vision of Katie Bundschu, the sixth-generation of the family that established Gundlach Bundschu, one of the oldest wineries in California. Nestled in Sonoma Valley (aka Valley of the Moon), the estate is known for its 80-year-old head-trained, dry-farmed Zinfandel vines. Some vines have been grafted over to new varieties such as Mourvèdre, Carignan, and Petit Sirah to craft complex wine blends. Abbot’s Passage also has a wine-centric mercantile selling picnic blankets, books, corkscrews, and more.
