Nearly all grape varieties at Columbine Vineyards are coming early
Nearly all grape varieties at Columbine Vineyards are coming early
The grape harvest in the San Joaquin Valley of California this year started earlier for Columbine Vineyards in Delano, CA, than it did the previous two years — which were late. But “things have moved up earlier and earlier since the start of the season,” said Keith Andrew, sales manager.
“It seems like we are plowing through the varieties quickly, and what are normally mid-fall to late fall varieties are inching up towards August,” he said Aug. 8.
“The colored grapes are coming off very quickly on harvest,” he said. “They are coloring up all at once.”
He characterized the early part of the season as “fast and furious.”
When The Produce News talked to Mr. Andrew, the company was shipping Thompson, Summer Royal, Red Globe and a patented red seedless variety exclusive to Columbine called Majestic, noted for its large berry size.
By late August, “we will be into Crimsons and Autumn Royals and maybe even our Black Globe, which is another patented variety,” Mr. Andrew said. “Usually, those are mid-September or later.”
Columbine’s late-season proprietary Holiday seedless variety “may come out earlier this year, too,” he said. “Usually they are late September to early October.” It looked as though this year they may start mid-September or earlier.
On Autumn King the timing was not yet certain. “We usually start that late September or early October,” he said. But “my guess is … it is probably going to be the middle of September or earlier. There is really nothing that you can call late this year.”
The earlier start could make for a longer season, Mr. Andrew suggested. “We’re working to make it longer,” hoping to stretch the shipping period to Thanksgiving and beyond.
