Harvest 2026 begins in Napa Valley

Round Pond Estate kicked off the 2026 Napa Valley wine grape harvest with six and a half tons of Chardonnay from their Rutherford estate vineyard on Tuesday, July 21.

The grapes were destined for sparkling wine. These grapes are among the first harvested each year to preserve the acidity and freshness that define great sparkling wines.  

Fruit for Mumm Napa and Schramsberg will soon follow, both with picks planned for today. Tami Lotz, winemaker at Mumm, said, “The fruit is looking and tasting great.”

“We are looking for the stars to align,” said winemaker Jeff Plant. “We need acid, sugar and flavor to all be in sync at the exact same moment. Sparkling is arguably the most difficult pick to call because your pick window is so tight.”

Plant added that Napa Valley’s terroir is “the perfect combination of warm days, cool nights and really great deep soils. Sparkling wines from Napa always have an incredible balance that makes them some of the best in the world.”

This year’s first pick is earlier than usual, but not far from 2015 harvest, which began on July 22.

For locals and visitors, vineyards and wineries come alive with the sights, sounds and aromas of harvest as grapes arrive, fermentation begins and another Napa Valley vintage takes shape.

Throughout harvest, wineries welcome guests with grape stomps, vineyard experiences, winemaker dinners and other events that capture the excitement of the season. A calendar of events can be found at NapaValley.wine, and the progress of the 2026 Napa Valley vintage can be followed at the Napa Valley Vintners “Vintage Tracker” at HarvestNapa.com.

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