2023 Grape Harvest is Coming in Hot

Winemaker, Van Johnson, Shares His Views from the Vines  

It is my first wine grape harvest as the production and head winemaker at Wedding Oak Winery. Ensuring we have ideal fruit for the 2023 vintage has been my entire focus since joining the winery in June. On my very first day on the job, we drove to the Texas High Plains to walk the vineyards to get ready for the harvest that is now well underway.

Don’t get me wrong. This isn’t my first time bringing bins of grapes in from the vineyards. Actually, this is my seventh harvest, including a harvest in New Zealand. Like all harvests that have come before, we are working long hours to pick the very best fruit.

It Started Cool, and Got Hot Fast

The cooler-than-normal and wet spring provided a beneficial start to the growing season for the vineyards. The relatively mild weather without late freezes, significant wind events, or widespread hail damage led to an excellent fruit set and overall healthy growth. However, some vineyards we work with in the Hill Country and Texas High Plains suffered loss from spring hail. Fortunately, they are currently bouncing back!

That relative tranquility changed quickly in June with the temperatures rising. The current extreme summer heat poses challenges to protect the grapes from sunburn. It has also expedited the harvesting process with the fast ripening. Some grape varieties like Grenache and Tempranillo were already harvested in July. Brix, a measure of the sugar level in the grapes, and pHs are driving up fast, while total acidity (TA) is dropping at a similar speed, so it's a race to the finish line. These conditions don't allow for long hang time for grapes to develop phenolics.

The heat's intense impact on the vines' photosynthesis may lead to some variability in grape development. That can potentially affect phenolic compounds' concentration and overall grape quality. In the vineyard, we have worked to mitigate that issue by reducing our irrigation to slow down the ripening process. However, when the temperature is above 95°F, grapevines begin to shut down and start eating away our TA and pH. To address this, we’re carefully monitoring the grapes to ensure a balance between sugar levels and phenolic ripeness to ensure optimal grape quality. This is especially crucial for red grapes, where the development of secondary and tertiary notes is essential for wine quality. Adjusting the harvest timing based on physiological ripeness indicators, such as pH and total acidity values, is essential to optimize grape flavor and phenolic compounds.

An Encouraging Harvest  

The quality and quantity of the harvest in the Hill Country is fantastic. We are definitely getting more tons per acre this year than in recent years. We have just harvested some beautiful fruit from Hye Top Vineyards including great Roussanne and Cabernet Sauvignon. I am really excited to finish up our current Grenache Rose ferment from Mirasol Vineyards. The grapes are excellent.

We’ll move on to the vineyards in the Texas High Plains next. In the Texas High Plains, we are looking forward to harvesting Muscat Canelli from Dimante Doble Vineyards for our Bridal Bliss line, as well as some fantastic Merlot from Lilli of the Vine Vineyards. I expect that Wedding Oak Winery will harvest approximately 10% of our total grape crop for the 2023 vintage from the Texas Hill Country with the remaining 90% coming from the Texas High Plains.  

I think the 2023 Texas harvest will bring promising results, with vineyards expecting good crop size and an abundance of grapes. However, the challenges posed by the summer heat necessitate careful attention to detail during the harvesting process.