Linden Update | July 30, 2026
Veraison in the Cabernet Sauvignon
Where Things Stand
The vine's vegetative cycle is slowing and ripening has begun. During this stage (called veraison) there is a shift both with the vines and the winegrowers.
In the vineyard potential yields have been set, but wine style and quality remain unknown. It is no secret that it has been a challenging growing season. There have been setbacks. Yields are down due to the infamous April 21 frost. Our Chardonnay, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc took the biggest hit. Cool temperatures during late May flowering further reduced fertilization in our Chardonnay making for small, lighter clusters. Last month's heat wave resulted in some sun burned grapes, most of which have now dried up. A week of cool drizzle followed, giving us angst about disease outbreaks (fortunately no mildew or black rot appeared). Then there was the smoke that forced us inside leaving the vines to fend for themselves. Turns out the vines are more resilient than we are.
In fact the vines look awfully healthy. They've done their work and we have done ours and now the waiting game starts. The weather over the next two months will determine the style and quality of the wine. What we want is dry and cool. Dry so as to slow down the vine's desire to grow more leaves and to transfer that energy to ripening grapes. Cool, especially in September, makes the best wines. The whites will have more energy with crisp, mineral acidity. Slow ripening red grapes retain freshness, aromas and most importantly supple tannins.
While the weather months down the road is impossible to predict, we still hold out for something special. In the meantime our work shifts from vineyard to cellar: bottling (to make room for vintage 2026), cleaning and maintenance of crush and harvest equipment, and a bit of R&R.
Our winemaker Jonathan Weber operating the presses.
Harvest and Crush Tour and Tasting
Our season long work in the vineyard culminates with an intense burst of energy in the fall. The long dormant cellar awakens, and equipment hums. From September 11 to October 11, we will offer a special 11:00 tour of the crush pad and cellars. Crush is the winemaking term for all the activity from picking the grapes to extracting the juice and starting fermentation.
This is your opportunity to see up close how wine is made. Our educational tour begins in the vineyard and then continues on the crush pad and into the cellar. You'll be able to taste (grapes, juice, fermenting wine), see (harvest or crush, depending on the day), and smell (fermentation aromas are intoxicating). We'll finish the tour with our comparative wine tasting in the tasting room. As 2026 marks Linden's 40th harvest, we'll be including lots of stories from the past.
Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 11 am
$50 per person
By reservation only. Group size is limited.
If you have any questions or want to join the waitlist, please email wine@lindenvineyards.com.
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Linden Vineyards / Learn More / Latest at Linden | Update: July 30, 2026