Just got an email from Mitch Cosentino of Cosentino Winery in Napa. He’s crushing his first grapes today. That’s right. Harvest is very early this year, the earliest on record for Mitch.

He picked from an eight acre block of young Sauvignon Blanc vines in Pope Valley. On the phone, Mitch told me he knew it was time because the flavors were dynamic and intense, which is what he needs out of these grapes. They go into the winery’s Novelist White Meritage.

The crop size is small (about four tons), and he’s pretty sure these are the first non-sparkling grapes to be picked this year in Napa (and some of those were picked just three days ago) and quite possibly anywhere in the North Coast.

“I’ve never picked wine grapes even close to this date,” Mitch said over the phone. The Semilion, which is grown across the avenue and also goes into the Meritage, won’t be ready for at least three weeks, he said.

Ahh, global warming.