Welcome to the Pickers Page at Zarpara Vineyard!
Use this page to see how the grapes are ripening this season.
If you are on the pickers email list, look for emails announcing upcoming picks and follow instructions there to let us know you are going to join a pick.
Please be aware that for some picks we bring in the pros. Don't be bummed. There are plenty of grapes out there!
There are 7 grape varieties in our vineyard and they ripen at different times, so there are at least 7 picks each year. Some grape varieties get a double dip, like Tempranillo or Monastrell, which get one pick date early for a rosé and another pick date later for the red wine.
We test Brix (sugar content) periodically in the different grape varieties and then more frequently as ripening closes in on the Target Brix.
We plan to do the following picks this 2025 season.
| Grape Variety | Target Brix | Last Brix | When | Projected Pick Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sauvignon Blanc | 22-22.5 | 21.2 ↑ | 7/26 | Picked |
| Viognier | 23.5-24 | 23.6 ↑ | 8/4 | Picked |
| Syrah | 26 | 27.6 ↑ | 8/20 | Now, 2 tons left |
| Tempranillo | 25-26 | 25.0 ↓ | 8/16 | 8/23 |
| Graciano | 25-26 | 24.8 ↑ | 8/15 | Picked, 1 ton left |
| Sangiovese | 25-26 | 24.4 ↑ | 8/21 | 8/27-8/30 |
| Monastrell | 24-25 | 20.4 ↑ | 8/21 | 8/26-9/3 (rosé) |
The weather during this 2025 growing season has been soooo nice! A mainly dry April and May, then a hot June, then monsoon storms arrived late June/early July to cool things down.
Grape ripening is right on track. Sauvignon Blanc will pick late July/early August as usual. The reds are coming along like they should so far, looking for mid-August to late-September picks there.
The monsoon storms play with the vines now. The Brix (sugar content) in the grapes goes up on dry days and goes down after rainy days.
Somewhere along the line, the sugar and ripeness reach the maturity we want and then we make wine!
