Kenefick Ranch Update: September, 2016

Harvest is in full swing here in Napa Valley! Everywhere in the valley is buzzing with excitement to see how well the fruit is turning out. Here at Kenefick Ranch, we harvested the last bit of our whites a few weeks ago and well into the harvest of our reds. As for the whites, they are now in fermentation and we couldn’t be happier with how well they turned out!

For the 2016 harvest season, we are seeing a slightly lighter crop load than average by about 10%. Although we are seeing less fruit, everyone on the ranch agrees that the quality of the fruit is much better than previous years. So far we have seen a long slow growth rate with no heavy heat spike.

Since the harvesting of the Reds is full swing you can expect all team members of Kenefick Ranch to be running at the opportunity to help out in the fields! This year we will mainly be harvesting at night using overhead lights and headlamps to make sure we are getting all the fruit. We always hand pick our fruit to make sure that none of the grapes are damaged before making it to the press. Usually Merlot and Cabernet Franc are among the first varietals to get harvested with the Cabernet Sauvignon and other thicker skinned grapes coming in right after them. On average, our team will be harvesting 20 tons of grapes a day till the end of the season!

Patrick Chapman and Chris Kenefick were proud to represent team Kenefick Ranch at this year’s Harvest Stomp party at Regusci Ranch. The event was amazing and raised over $1.3 million dollars for the Napa Valley Farmworkers Foundation and the Napa Valley Grapegrowers. After pouring at the tasting event, the team enjoyed a fantastic dinner and partook in some great dancing surrounded by the vines and of course, great friends!

Earlier this month Tom Kenefick, Patrick Chapman, and Chris Kenefick attended the annual Calistoga Harvest Dinner. The weekend actually started on Saturday where we were pouring our wines at the Calistoga Wine Experience which showcased wineries in the local area. Sunday’s dinner has long been a favorite in the community. This year we celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Judgement of Paris with a special toast to our friend and neighbor Bo Barrett of Chateau Montelena. The event is one that typically sells out in a day so if you are looking to join the party next year, make sure to get your tickets early!

Lastly, Chris Kenefick has been presented with the opportunity to head back east to visit some of our east coast markets. Chris originally planned the trip to attend his high school reunion at Vermont Academy in Saxton’s River Vermont but couldn’t pass up the opportunity to spend some additional time out east. If you’re in the New England area in late September, keep in eye out for Chris in his travels!

Salud!

Sep 28, 2016 at 9:09 AM Permalink