Five Intense Days of Harvest

Yesterday we picked the last of our red grapes. Vintage 2021 required extreme patience as we waited for a weather miracle to ripen our stubborn reds. The past ten days gave us that miracle with warm, sunny days, low humidity, and cool nights. It took four or five days for the grapes to take advantage of these conditions and turn the corner as flavors and tannins came into line. So we continued to wait until Wednesday when harvest started in earnest with Merlot.

Then everything ripened at once. There was no way we could pick everything in time. However, the vintage was saved by our friends and colleagues at RdV Vineyards. They had already finished harvest and graciously offered to help here at Linden. Friday was a very special day for us. It was a classic Virginia fall day: crisp and cool. A combined team of twelve seasoned veterans methodically harvested Avenius Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. We then ascended on Hardscrabble to pick all the Cabernet Sauvignon. Never in our history has so much fruit been picked in one day. RdV helped save our vintage and for that we are eternally grateful.

A sports analogy best sums up the 2021 vintage for our red wines. It is late in the fourth quarter and the home team is losing by a wide margin. Fans are leaving the stadium. Then a series of unimaginable Hail Mary plays puts us over the top in the final minutes.

We are physically and emotionally drained, but we now have some very promising red wine starting to ferment in the cellar. And that is what matters. 

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Linden Vineyards / Learn More / Latest at Linden | Journal: October 4, 2021