Harvest season in Sonoma is when our family vineyard truly comes alive. From August through October—and occasionally extending into November—our 17.5-acre estate transforms into a bustling hub of carefully orchestrated activity. Each grape variety tells us when it’s ready, and we listen.
Here in the Valley of the Moon, surrounded by the sunbathed rocky slopes of the Mayacamas and Sonoma Mountain ranges, we’ve been crafting award-winning estate wines since 2002. Our first vintage produced two Gold Medal winners: the 2002 Zinfandel and the 2002 Resonance, a Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon blend. Since then, we’ve earned over 50 Gold Medals for our handcrafted wines.
Want to experience harvest season firsthand? Join us for an estate tasting where you can taste the fruits of previous harvests while watching this year’s magic unfold.
Harvest Season in Sonoma: When and Why We Hand-Pick
Harvest season in Sonoma doesn’t follow a calendar—it follows the grapes. The exact start and end times vary by grape variety, specific vineyard conditions, and that year’s weather patterns. Our estate vineyard benefits from coastal fog in the early mornings and evenings from the San Francisco Bay, which cools our vines. As the fog clears, rising daytime temperatures and natural underground hot springs warm the vineyards, creating perfect ripening conditions.
We hand-pick every grape on our estate. Why? Because machines can’t feel the difference between a grape that’s perfectly ripe and one that needs another day. Our gravelly, well-drained soil slopes gently downward to meet Sonoma Creek, and this terroir produces grapes that demand personal attention.
Ted Coleman, our winemaker and Joan’s brother, walks the vineyard blocks daily during harvest, testing sugar levels and tasting grapes. When the Cabernet Sauvignon reaches that perfect balance of sugar, acid, and tannin—that’s when we pick. Same goes for our Syrah and Zinfandel. Each variety has its moment, and we wait for it.
Our primary varietals include Zinfandel, Syrah, and estate Cabernet Sauvignon, plus a special block we call our ‘Spice Rack’ where we grow unique varietals like Cabernet Franc, Petite Sirah, and Petit Verdot. Every grape gets the same careful attention from vine to bottle.
From Crush to Fermentation: A Step-by-Step Guide
Once our grapes arrive at the winery, the real magic of the winemaking process begins. Here’s how we transform estate-grown fruit into the wines that have earned us recognition across Sonoma Valley.
Sorting and Destemming: Every grape cluster gets inspected. We remove any leaves, stems, or fruit that doesn’t meet our standards. Only the best grapes make it into our wines.
Crushing: We gently crush the grapes to release their juice while keeping the skins intact. For our reds, those skins are crucial—they provide color, tannins, and flavor compounds that make our Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah so complex.
Fermentation: This is where science meets art. The fermentation process begins when yeast converts the grape sugars into alcohol. We use a combination of native yeasts and selected strains, depending on what each lot of grapes needs.
Temperature control is everything during fermentation. Our Cabernet Sauvignon ferments at slightly higher temperatures (around 85°F) to extract maximum color and tannins, while our Syrah wine prefers it a bit cooler. We monitor each tank twice daily, tasting and testing to ensure everything progresses smoothly.
Fermentation typically takes 7-14 days for our reds, but we let the wine tell us when it’s ready. Some years, fermentation races along; other years, it takes its time. We’ve learned patience makes better wine.
Barrel Aging & Blending: Crafting Estate Cabernet and Syrah Wines
After fermentation, our wines begin their journey in barrels. This is where good wine becomes great wine, and where our Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah develop their signature character.
We use French oak barrels, with different toast levels depending on the wine. Our estate Cabernet Sauvignon—which earned us our first Double Gold/Best of Class Medal with the 2005 vintage—ages in barrels for 18-24 months. The oak adds vanilla and spice notes while allowing slow oxidation that softens tannins and integrates flavors.
Syrah gets similar treatment, though Ted sometimes experiments with different barrel types for various lots. Some Syrah goes into neutral oak to preserve pure fruit character, while other portions develop in new French oak for added complexity.
Blending is where artistry meets science. Our signature Resonance blend combines Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon in proportions that vary by vintage. Ted tastes countless combinations, sometimes adding small amounts of Petite Sirah or Petit Verdot from our Spice Rack to achieve perfect balance.
The winemaking process demands constant attention. We taste every barrel monthly, tracking how each wine evolves. Some barrels develop beautifully; others might need different treatment. Every decision shapes the final wine you’ll taste in our tasting room.
Bottling the Vintage: Finishing Touches That Define Estate Wines
Bottling day represents the culmination of nearly two years of work, from the moment we hand-picked the grapes during harvest season to the final corking.
Before bottling, we conduct final blending and filtering to ensure clarity and stability. Our estate wines must meet our quality standards—the same standards that have earned us over 50 Gold Medals since our first vintage.
Each bottle gets filled, corked, and labeled by hand (well, with some mechanical help). We use natural cork closures because we believe they allow our wines to age gracefully. Every bottle represents our family’s commitment to quality and our connection to this special place in Sonoma Valley.
Our Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah wine typically rest in bottles for several months before release, allowing all those barrel-aged flavors to marry and integrate. Some wines, like our library reserves, age even longer before we share them with wine club members and visitors.
The vine to bottle journey reflects our philosophy: great wine starts with great grapes, but it takes careful attention at every step to honor what the vineyard gives us. When you taste our wines, you’re experiencing the essence of harvest season in Sonoma captured in every glass.
Ready to taste the results of our estate winemaking journey? Book a tasting at Little Vineyards and experience firsthand the wines that tell our harvest season story.
Want to enjoy our handcrafted Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah year-round? Join our wine club for exclusive access to limited-production wines and first tastes of each new vintage. From vine to bottle, we invite you to be part of our winemaking journey.