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 might get a double dip, like Tempranillo or Monastrell, which could 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 2026 season.
| Grape Variety | Target Brix | Last Brix | When | Projected Pick Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sauvignon Blanc | 22-22.5 | 19.4 ↑ | 7/10 | 7/17-7/22 |
| Viognier | 23.5-24 | |||
| Syrah | 26 | |||
| Tempranillo (red) | 25-26 | |||
| Graciano | 25-26 | |||
| Sangiovese | 25-26 | |||
| Monastrell (red) | 24-25 |
The weather during this 2026 growing season has been dry and hot. We are hoping monsoon storms get underway to cool things down. For now, the vines are getting plenty of water via drip irrigation.
Due to the warm winter, the vines woke up early last spring and nothing has happend weather-wise to even things out. Consequently, grape ripening is about 2 weeks ahead of normal. Sauvignon Blanc will pick mid-July vs the more usual late July/early August.
Some of the reds, like Syrah, Tempranillo, and Sangiovese, were well into veraison prior to the July 4th weekend, so we are looking for a bunch of picks to happen in August. Our two cabooses, Graciano and Monastrell, well hmmm, we'll have to wait and see if they will hang on for September picks.
