The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and the sugar is rising! On Friday February 13th, 2026 I spent some time in the rows with Brian to get an inside look at how our blocks are progressing as we approach the 2026 harvest.
Monitoring the ripeness of our grapes is a daily ritual this time of year. Brian has been busy using a refractometer to test the Baumé levels—a measurement of the sugar content in the berries.
In our Rent-A-Row block, the berries are looking full and tasting sweet, showing off a healthy dusting of natural yeast. These grapes are currently sitting at a 9 & 10, putting us right on track for our scheduled pick at the start of March.
We are especially excited about the progress of our Tempranillo block. Last year, the fruit struggled to ripen, and we unfortunately had to drop it to the ground. This year is a different story—the berries are already hitting a Baumé of 10, and we are feeling very optimistic about our first-ever pick from this block.
You know the grapes are getting good when the local birds start their own "testing." Brian noted that the birds have already begun pecking at some bunches, which is a classic sign that the fruit is reaching peak ripeness. They usually have a sweet tooth and get to the grapes about a week or two before the winemakers do!
After gathering a collection of bunches from across the different blocks, we’ve handed them over to our winery team. They will conduct a comprehensive test on the mix to determine the exact balance of sugars and acids, ensuring we hit the perfect window for harvest.
The countdown to harvest is officially on - watch our videos of Brian in the vineyard filmed on February 13th for a full update on the Baume from several blocks.
We can't wait to see you in the rows!
| 13/2/26 | |||
| Block | Brix | Baume | pH |
| Tempranillo | 19 | 10.6 | 3.4 |
| Shiraz R6 | 16 | 8.9 | 3.1 |
| Shiraz '02 | 19.7 | 10.9 | 3.3 |