Rows of grapevines are visible under a clear, sunny sky in the early season in wine country, Sonoma County, Sonoma, California, June 2, 2024. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)
The wine growing season is just beginning, and as the days get warmer, grapes are starting to grow up in California’s Wine Country of Napa and Sonoma.
We headed up to wine country to see the beauty of the early season firsthand.
Young Grapes are Growing
Close-up of immature wine grapes beginning to grow in the early portion of the growing season in wine country, Sonoma County, Sonoma, California, June 2, 2024. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)
If you look at wine country vines right now, you’ll see tiny grapes just beginning to grow. It’s hard to believe that these little berries will eventually be the basis for this year’s wine!
Close-up of immature wine grapes beginning to grow in the early portion of the growing season in wine country, Sonoma County, Sonoma, California, June 2, 2024. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)
Year Round Vines
Rows of grapevines are visible under a clear, sunny sky in the early season in wine country, Sonoma County, Sonoma, California, June 2, 2024. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)
Of course, grapevines thrive year-round in wine country. Although the grapes for this season are new, the vines themselves are often many decades old. They just begin to grow new fruit again each season.
Cold Temps Are Past
Frost prevention wind machine in a vineyard, used to circulate air and prevent frost damage to grapes on sub-freezing days, in wine country, Sonoma County, California, June 2, 2024. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)
Cold temperatures below freezing are almost certainly done for the season. That means winemakers can rest easy, knowing they won’t need to use their frost prevention wind machines–those giant fans on towers that you see throughout Napa and Sonoma.
Enjoy Previous Years’ Wines
Cheese plate featuring several California cheeses including Humbolt Fog, Marin French Cheese brie, and fresh chevre goat cheese, with crackers and dried fruit and nuts, Sonoma, California, June 2, 2024. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)
It’s not nearly time to sample even the youngest wines from this year. But it’s never too early to enjoy a glass of wine from a previous vintage!
We recommend tasting some in combination with a delicious California cheese plate.
Thomas Smith is a food and travel photographer and writer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. His photographic work routinely appears in publications including Food and Wine, Conde Nast Traveler, and the New York Times and his writing appears in IEEE Spectrum, SFGate, the Bold Italic and more. Smith holds a degree in Cognitive Science (Neuroscience) and Anthropology from the Johns Hopkins University.
