That little pink berry was the first Pinot Noir berry I saw with some color this year. For those of you thinking to yourselves, "Wait. I thought they were harvesting in Burgundy?", you're correct. France was very warm and early this year - about as early as we are late. This picture was taken on 9/1. By today, this same cluster should be a mottled harlequin with mostly dark berries and just a few green ones left. Using the standard rule of ~ 50 days from veraison (color change) to harvest, that means Boedecker Cellars will likely start picking on October 25th.
Yes. October 23-25th is likely the start of Pinot Noir harvest in Oregon this year. For those of you, like us, who grew up in the Pacific Northwest, I bet you can count the number of dry, warm Halloweens you've experienced on one hand. Even with the exceptionally nice September weather it looks like we'll enjoy, this year will be a nail-biter in Oregon.
Keep in mind, 2008 (the Oregon "Vintage of the decade") was almost as late, and with the same dry weather this year, we can get the same result - complex, deep flavors combined with fantastic texture. We just need the Jet Stream to keep those Pacific storms pointed at our friends in B.C. (sorry guys) for an extra few weeks this year.
For those who want to watch the developing weather patterns with me, I highly recommend NOAA's satellite website. This is millions of dollars of U.S. tax money at work for you - cool stuff! Below is the current snapshot of water vapor patterns in the Eastern Pacific.
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