We have had some unusually hot weather in San Diego county for about a week now, and it has been making all the grapes in the area ripen one to two weeks earlier than expected. I was not surprised when Mike Hoffman from Live Oak Vineyard and Steve Baum from Sober Wife Vineyard called to say our harvest needs to be moved up — both the Syrah and the Primitivo are at 21 brix already! Steve said the Primitivo is even starting to raisin — the Primitivo ripening so early was a surprise, we expected this varietal to be ready mid to late September. But as I tell everyone, the grapes are ready when the grapes are ready! We are now planning to harvest on Sunday August 26th, the earliest day available for our harvest with our Grapes to Glass Hands-on Harvest Class at Curds and Wine.