2018 Winemaker Recap.
Winemaker and Director of Operations looks back at a productive harvest season.
The 2018 harvest turned out to be yet another spectacular vintage for Sbragia Family Vineyards. It was a long harvest season, starting early September and crushing the last fruit on the 31st of October, two weeks later than in 2017. The first fruit to come in was our Dry Creek Sauvignon Blanc which is typically picked first to accomplish higher acidity levels. After the Sauvignon Blanc came Zinfandel, followed by the Chardonnay and finishing with the Cabernet Sauvignon, with a few other varietals sprinkled in between. The 2018 vintage wines are now in barrels and have begun the aging process. The quality of the fruit is amazing and I am looking forward to watching these wines mature and age over time. As our Cabernet, Zinfandel, and Chardonnay begin to barrel age, we start the task of tasting wines from the 2016 and 2017 harvests to watch their development and tend to as needed.
This season could not have been possible without my loyal production team. My cellar crew was amazing as always. Kyle, my cellarmaster, ran the team masterfully and our returning harvest intern, Joe, worked hard like always. Many wineries have new staff and harvest interns cycle through each season, but we are fortunate to have a consistent group of people that have been with us through many harvests. This was our 13th harvest at Sbragia Family Vineyards and I am proud to still be making great wine.
Things are slowing down in the cellar for the holidays, but things will be back to business in the New Year! In January, we will begin bottling the first of the 2018 vintage, with our Rose and Sauvignon Blanc. I have been working on a blend for a new label, Home Field Red that will be released early next year, you will be hearing about it soon! I am very excited for 2019 as we have a lot of great wine to bottle and release. The 2016 Cabernets are amazing and I can’t wait for everyone to taste them. Our annual winemaker cruise is also something I look forward to each year. This April, my dad Ed, my mom Jane, my wife Kathy and I are heading to Europe to cruise down the Danube with a small group of club members and a few new travelers.
Thank you for being a part of our family and your continued support. Wishing everyone a very happy holiday season and we hope to see you in 2019!
Salute!