Ready, Set…Harvest!

Nature’s big moment: It’s so fun to cook at this time of year because, well, you hardly have to. Nature does most of the work, bestowing a bounty of late-summer veggies that just need to be sliced up or barely blanched. A creamy Green Goddess dip the color of jade completes this pretty picture. Unless you’d prefer a sweet and tangy roasted red pepper dip? There’s a solution to this dreadful dilemma: make both. They can duke it out.

While you’re diving into the dips, raise a glass to the farmers who make the annual produce bonanza happen. And then another toast, please, to the winegrowers responsible for that lovely rosé you’re enjoying. They are prepping right now for their year’s Big Moment. Sparkling wine producers kick off the vintage, with their grape harvest typically underway by early August. By the end of the month, white winegrapes like Sauvignon Blanc are crushed and fermenting.

The weeks leading up to harvest are crazy busy. Winery crews are scrubbing tanks, repairing equipment, and bottling last year’s wines to make room for the new. Growers are patrolling their vineyards daily, thinning grape clusters that are lagging behind or showing sunburn. Because many vineyards are harvested at night when it’s cool—both for crew comfort and fruit quality—growers want to remove any flawed fruit that someone on the picking team might not see. Nature has the final word, but the 2020 vintage is looking top-notch.