Admittedly, they had to fight spring frosts and very high temperatures, but winegrowers across California are happy to announce an excellent quality vintage for 2022.
The harvest period was long and varied regarding when the harvest started and finished. Napa Valley began picking up to a month earlier than usual. North Coast growers harvested red grapes as early as mid-August. The heat at the end of August, with record temperatures, accelerated the ripening of the grapes, and a hectic and intense period in the cellars followed. Those who had not yet harvested before the rains in mid-September had to sort the grapes carefully.
But, on the whole, the rain did not affect the excellent quality. Depending on when harvested, the grapes showed different levels of ripeness, with some grapes greatly affected by extreme temperatures up to 43 degrees C. The final blending will be important for the producers to get good balance.
California produces around 80% of the country’s wines, and the state is thus the world’s fourth largest producer of wine after the three European giants Italy, France and Spain.
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