Harvest watch 2024: A ‘sensuous year’

As we approach wine grape harvest in the Santa Cruz Mountains, I checked in with local viticulturist Prudy Foxx to get her take on how the 2024 vintage is looking so far. According to Foxx, we are looking at what she calls a “sensuous” year. “In the berries, the fruit is juicy, and they have nice skins. Clusters are midsized, really well formed and well balanced. They’ve been doing their yoga,” Foxx said.

Harvest in the Santa Cruz Mountains started last week for sparkling wine, at the Mountain Winery and others. But the main harvest looks to be about a week after Labor Day, according to Foxx. This timing is similar to what Ken Swegles told me earlier this month. How does this timing compare to previous vintages? “Timing-wise it seems to me to be what we would call a relatively normal year,” Foxx said. “It’s not significantly early and not significantly late, like last year was.”

So far, it’s been an even vintage in terms of weather. “Because we just had this perfect even ripening weather without any environmental impact events during the critical growing period, it’s actually been a stunning vintage in terms of flavor development,” said Foxx.

Because our region is comprised of multiple elevations and undulating contours around the mountains, like a scrunched-up blanket, our vineyards have different microclimates and growing conditions. Most vineyards are around 1,200 feet or lower.

As is typical, the east side and higher elevations of the range experienced higher temperatures this summer — perfect for the warm-weather-loving Bordeaux varietals like cabernet sauvignon that dominate those areas — than the cooler coastal side and lower elevations that are moderated by fog and marine breezes which pinot noir and chardonnay love.

At Bates Ranch Vineyard near Mount Madonna, one of Foxx’s clients, the fruit there benefitted from good heat and ripening weather. “Cabernet sauvignons from the east side of the appellation are going to be blockbusters this year,” said Foxx. “The heat came right at the perfect time of flavor development, between fruit set and veraison.”

One of the issues affecting the vintage, however, is some winemakers are opting out of making wine this year, so they are not buying grapes. I asked Foxx why she thought this was happening and if it is affecting her business: “We have winemakers that are cutting back production simply because they are overstocked in inventory, and people don’t want to make more if they’re not selling what they’ve got.” One reason: Consumers aren’t buying as much wine as they did before and during the pandemic.

But for Foxx, who focuses on quality over quantity, this hasn’t affected her business. “If you grow high-quality grapes, you’re always in a good position to be able to sell Santa Cruz Mountains fruit,” said Foxx.

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