Wine Harvest Calendar

Rose grapes are coming in first; warm weather, lavender fields fading, beaches still swimmable

Peak variety — early whites are in, reds are rolling; heat subsides making vineyard visits comfortable

Etna reds and western Nero d'Avola overlap; summer crowds thin out, temperatures become pleasant

Primitivo and Negroamaro harvests overlap; trulli villages are atmospheric in early autumn

Grape treading ceremony (pisa de la uva) and Fiesta de la Vendimia in September are spectacular cultural events

Heat subsides; herdades (wine estates) host harvest dinners under the stars in this cork-oak studded landscape

Madeira Wine Festival fills Funchal with harvest parades, grape-treading, and folk music

Cabernet Sauvignon — Napa's flagship — is coming in; crush pads are active, many wineries offer harvest blending experiences

Pinot Noir from Russian River Valley peaks; more relaxed than Napa with family-run estates

Multiple varieties coming in simultaneously; Harvest Wine Weekend festival, less crowded than Napa

Assyrtiko harvest on volcanic terroir is unique; basket-trained vines (kouloura) are handpicked at dawn

Indigenous varieties peak; summer crowds thin; combine harvest visits with Minoan archaeological sites

Red grape harvest peaks; Chateau Musar and Chateau Ksara offer harvest tours with views of the Bekaa plain