Stories of the nominees

A Promising Year for California Vineyards

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Winemakers are optimistic, as the favorable growing season promises high-quality grapes across California. In the 2024-2025 Wine Travel Awards campaign, California Wines was nominated and won the public vote in the Region of the Year category.

Harvest is already in full swing after a long and stable season. A cool spring and mild summer allowed the grapes to ripen gradually, instilling confidence among growers.

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“So far, 2025 has been delightfully uneventful,” noted John Olney, head winemaker at Ridge Vineyards, which grows grapes in Sonoma County, the Santa Cruz Mountains, and Paso Robles. “If the weather holds, the right conditions are in placeforthis to be an outstanding vintage.”

In California this year, weather conditions proved exceptionally favorable for viticulture: winter rains enriched the soil, and from bud break to fruit set the conditions remained ideal. Despite localized differences in ripening and cluster size, fruit development stayed consistent. During harvest, moderate temperatures persisted without heat waves. The only serious incident was the Pickett Fire in Napa Valley, near Calistoga: it affected only a small area in the northeast and damaged about 3% of agricultural land, without significantly impacting the overall crop.

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Winemakers predict that the 2025 vintage will be marked by concentration of flavor and balance: reds by depth and structure, whites by bright acidity and precision.

Concentrated Aromas and Bright Acidity

The hallmark of the 2025 harvest is the combination of an intense bouquet and pronounced acidity.

“After important and intensive sorting, I don’t think I have ever tasted Pinot Noir with the intensity of flavor that we are experiencing this year,” said Ted Lemon, founder of Littorai Wines in Sonoma County.

Early varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay stand out with vibrant natural acidity and purity of fruit notes, while Cabernet Sauvignon shows promising depth and potential for aging.

On the Central Coast, after one of the coolest summers on record, winemakers note excellent color and flavor intensity in red varieties, which continue to ripen on the vines.

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“There’s elegance, but boldness to the fruit,” said Caine Thompson, managing director of Robert Hall Winery in Paso Robles. “It’s looking like a pretty phenomenal vintage.”

Old-Vine Zinfandel and the Central Coast

California’s old-vine Zinfandel plantings show great promise for the 2025 harvest, particularly in the Lodi region. The cool summer helped preserve fresh acidity and concentrated flavors across all varieties, with Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc standing out in particular.

“Thanks to close collaboration between winemakers and growers, we were able to achieve our goals and ensure exceptional quality,” noted Aaron P. Lange, president of Lange Twins Family Vineyards & Winery in Acampo.

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However, some winemakers, including John Williams of Frog’s Leap Winery in Napa Valley, remain cautious in their forecasts: “We’ve been in situations before where we thought we had a perfect harvest. So we won’t count our chickens yet, but we’re certainly admiring the eggs,” commented the winemaker.

The Vintage in the Words of Winemakers

  • Richie Allen, vice president of viticulture and winemaking at Rombauer Vineyards, Napa Valley: “Yields are consistently good with great acidsand flavors. 2025 is shaping up to be another high-quality year.”
  • Elizabeth Vianna, winemaker and CEO of Chimney Rock Winery, Napa Valley: “Impressions on quality thus far are extremely positive. All things are pointing to a great new vintage.”
  • Lee Martinelli Jr., owner of Martinelli Winery & Vineyards, Sonoma County: “We have picked a slow pace for the last three weeks and the fruit looks great.The flavors are nice and balanced.”
  • Niki Wente, director of vineyard operations at Wente Vineyards, Livermore Valley: “We are optimistic that the 2025 harvest will produce wines of both freshness and depth.”

A complete overview and final details on the 2025 harvest across California will be presented in the comprehensive 2025 Harvest Report from Wine Institute later this fall.

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Photo: facebook.com/CaliforniaWines/photos