Temecula Valley Winemakers Reflect on the 2023 Harvest and What’s in Store for 2024
The dust has finally settled on harvest 2023 and we are all now in the thick of holiday planning, shopping, and sipping. But these last few weeks of the year are also about reflecting on prior months, and looking ahead to what the new year brings.
It was in this reflective spirit that we caught up with some of our winemakers to chat with them about a few things; namely, how harvest went, what bottles they’re popping this holiday season, and what 2024 has in store not only for their own winery but for wine in general. Here’s what they had to say.
RENATO SAÍS, AVENSOLE WINERY
TVWA: How did harvest go?
RS: We started on August 20th with Sauvignon Blanc and we finished October 31st with Cabernet Sauvignon. It was a long, extensive harvest, and we are seeing good results so far. The fruit hung on the vines longer than expected, which was an uncommon thing in our region. We are excited to nurture these wines and see the bottled results in the coming years. So far, so good!
TVWA: What are you looking forward to sipping this holiday season and why?
RS: I’ve been in the mood of red wine as of late and would like to sip our Retaggio red wine – a blend of our estate Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel blend. This will be a great wine for this holidays
TVWA: What trends in wine are you seeing on the horizon for 2024?
RS: I believe the customer base in Temecula has become more receptive of new ideas of wines and also of different grape varieties; however I would say that sticking to what we do – pursuing perfection in our jobs in the vineyards, and understanding our climates and vines are what’s most important at the moment. Customers are eager to see the evolution of our wines at Avensole and the entire region.
We are under the eye of the consumer and they are waiting for us to deliver. I believe it is great for the region, our wineries, and us winemakers. No matter what we do, we must do it right and with a foundation behind it.
TVWA: Is there anything new in 2024 that your winery will be doing that you haven’t done before?
RS: I know we are starting to be laser focused on producing wines that are more pairing-driven, and being able to match our wine profile with the exquisite flavors and dishes from our restaurant.
NICK PALUMBO, PALUMBO FAMILY VINEYARDS & WINERY
TVWA: How did harvest go?
NP: Harvest has finally wrapped up and all the wines are safely sleeping in our beautiful French oak barrels.
TVWA: What are you looking forward to sipping this holiday season and why?
NP: Going into the holidays we are looking forward to releasing our 2023 Viognier which will be a nice addition to our typically red wine only line up.
TVWA: What trends in wine are you seeing on the horizon for 2024?
NP: People have been really receptive to “nontraditional” wine regions as well as more “off list” wine varieties. Temecula Valley is a perfect example of this. People are looking for fresh ideas and exciting wines that are coming out of regions that may have been overlooked in the past. Our Sangiovese, Tannat, Syrah, and various blends have been crowd-pleasers along with new releases like the aforementioned Viognier coming soon.
SHANE SEVIER, VITAGLIANO WINERY
TVWA: How did harvest go?
SS: Harvest is over! Yay! Harvest is one of my favorite times of the year. This year, though, was a tough one. The weather was not our friend this year and we were constantly fighting rain throughout the summer. On top of that, we harvested more tons than we ever have here!
TVWA: What are you looking forward to sipping this holiday season and why?
SS: I will definitely be drinking some of our Dolcetto and Benedetto this holiday season with friends and family!
TVWA: What trends in wine are you seeing on the horizon for 2024?
SS: Seeing that it is slated to be a wet and cold year, I would think more people will be drinking comfort wine, like bigger reds.
TVWA: Is there anything new in 2024 that your winery will be doing that you haven’t done before?
SS: If everything goes well, we should be expanding our production area by quite a bit, and also planting roughly 10 more acres of grapes. Very excited about this coming year!
KRISTINA FILIPPI, WILSON CREEK WINERY
TVWA: How did harvest go?
KF: We finished the first week of November. This year’s harvest was definitely challenging and kept me on my toes, but I’m very happy so far with the results I’m seeing in our wines.
TVWA: What trends in wine are you seeing on the horizon for 2024?
KF: I see a continued demand for more wines that have been produced with a conscientious view towards the environment; grapes and wines produced from vineyards that are farmed regeneratively for example. More and more people are concerned about where their food and beverages are coming from and how they are farmed and produced, which definitely has come to include vineyard and winery practices.
TVWA: Is there anything new in 2024 that your winery will be doing that you haven’t done before?
KF: We are producing two new types of wine this year that I believe are firsts for Wilson – a Rosé of Cinsault, and Sangiovese. Always exciting to see how new wines turn out!
OLIVIA BUE, ROBERT RENZONI VINEYARDS
TVWA: Is harvest over for you? How did it go?
OB: Harvest wrapped up the second week of November. It was an extraordinarily long one! After 270 tons, 38 different vineyard lots, and countless pumpovers, we are thrilled to have completed another amazing harvest here at RRV. There were certainly some challenges this growing season, including the temperature fluctuations and intermittent rainfall through late summer. The more compact grape clusters struggled with mildew and mold damage due to moisture from rain getting trapped; however attentive and frequent canopy management helped eradicate problems.
TVWA: What trends in wine are you seeing on the horizon for 2024?
OB: I notice the interest in educational wine tasting has increased as well as the focus on transparent and sustainable winemaking practices. I’m thrilled to share with our consumers that we have officially become Sustainable by the CSWA for both Vineyard and Winery. Focusing on vineyard techniques such as spreading compost, enhancing soil biodiversity, planting cover crops, no pesticides, and evaluating soils to produce healthier vines with greater longevity will result in higher quality grapes that produce higher quality wines.
TVWA: Is there anything new in 2024 that your winery will be doing that you haven’t done before?
OB: I’m proud to share our Vermentino trial this year in which we split 1 vineyard lot into 3 different tanks; our newly purchased terracotta clay amphora tank and concrete egg tank. The flavor profile is dramatically different among the 3 which will make for a fun tasting lineup after bottling each tank separately. We look forward to trialing our concrete and Amphora clay tanks with a few more varieties next year.
JON MCPHERSON, SOUTH COAST WINERY AND CARTER ESTATE WINERY
TVWA: How did harvest go?
JM: Harvest started relatively late for us. We began on August 15 with Pinot Noir from Wild Horse Peak. We spent the next two days pressing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay for our Carter Estate cuvée. Luckily, the rain from Hurricane Hilary did not hurt our fruit quality and the cooling trend afterwards gave us more slow ripening hang-time.
Our first grapes at South Coast were our estate Sauvignon Blanc. These set a record for the latest start to a harvest – August 29th. We drifted in and out of harvest for the month of September with various whites and early reds. Quality was exceptional but the overall yields were categorically low. Most of this was due to poor set, which is attributed to the late spring rains we had in May and early-June during bloom.
Our Wild Horse Peak reds that came in October were some of the best we had ever seen. Days were cool and nights were even cooler, so we feel the overall harvest was a true vintage year. We finished harvest on November 2nd with our Muscat of Alexandria.
TCWA: What are you looking forward to sipping this holiday season and why?
JM: The holidays are made for sparkling wine. If I’m not sipping on a Carter Estate sparkling wine, it will definitely be the Natural or Brut from South Coast Winery.
TVWA: What trends in wine are you seeing on the horizon for 2024?
JM: Sparkling wine remains a strong seller, but the competition between other alcoholic beverages, non-alcoholic choices, and those not drinking are cutting into wine sales. Many wineries are cutting production levels due to excess inventories.
TVWA: Is there anything new in 2024 that your winery will be doing that you haven’t done before?
JM: We will continue to make award-winning wines with 100% Temecula estate grown grapes.
RICK BUFFINGTON, COUGAR VINEYARD AND WINERY
TVWA: Is harvest over for you? How did it go?
RB: Harvest is over including harvesting all of our estate olives. It started very late but the fruit was in good shape.
TCWA: What are you looking forward to sipping this holiday season and why?
RB: This holiday season I look forward to sipping and sharing a few bottles of our very first Estate Ciliegiolo. We only had 1 barrel which is why I can’t share much more. I really enjoyed the undeniable cherry flavors in this light red wine.
TVWA: What trends in wine are you seeing on the horizon for 2024?
RB: I am hopeful that tasters will continue to venture out and try varietals that they can’t get anywhere else or that they know little or nothing about. I would also hope that seasoned tasters will rock the boat a little and not just stick with their usual glass of wine. How about a Vermentino instead of a glass of Chardonnay?
TVWA: Is there anything new in 2024 that your winery will be doing that you haven’t done before?
RB: We’re trying to have more and meaningful events. For instance, the week before the Super Bowl we have a beer education and pairing event that interests me as a wine drinker and also as a beer drinker (as the saying goes, it takes a lot of good beer to make great wine).
