“Early” has shaped up to be the word of the 2026 growing season. With few exceptions, everything this year happened well ahead of schedule across Beringer vineyards and varieties.
An early bud break followed by consistently warm weather accelerated ripening throughout the season. Some vineyards were nearly a month ahead of a typical year, bringing one of the earliest harvests our winemaking team has experienced in Napa Valley.
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"The 2026 harvest was the earliest I've ever experienced across Napa Valley, with some vineyards ripening nearly a month ahead of a typical season. Yields were lighter than average, resulting in many small lots around the winery. We're seeing beautiful color and softer structures in the wines, which is always exciting. I look forward to creating our first trial blends and seeing how this promising vintage comes together."
Margo Van Staaveren |
2026 Harvest at a Glance
From the first Chardonnay and Pinot Noir picked in mid-August to the final Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon lots arriving in early November, harvest moved quickly across our vineyards.
2026 Varietal Harvest Timing
| VARIETY | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV |
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Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley |
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Cabernet Sauvignon Knights Valley |
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Chardonnay Napa Valley |
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Merlot Napa Valley |
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Pinot Noir Napa Valley |
Timing reflects the general 2026 harvest window for each variety.
Two Very Different Seasons
The 2025 and 2026 growing seasons could hardly have been more different. Last year brought cooler conditions, a slower growing season and late-season rains, requiring extended hangtime for the fruit to reach optimal ripeness.
In 2026, warm weather arrived early and remained consistent throughout the season. Bud break came ahead of schedule, ripening accelerated and some red varieties began arriving at the winery in August, nearly a month earlier than usual.
Despite their differences, both vintages produced relatively light yields with small berries. In 2026, our winemakers are already seeing deep color, concentrated flavors, natural acidity and softer structures developing in the cellar. Every growing season gives the winemaking team a different palette to work with, and translating what nature provides into the final wine is where the winemaker’s art begins.
After the Harvest
Harvest may mark the end of the growing season, but inside the winery, it is only the middle of the journey.
Once fruit is picked and placed into small crates, it is quickly moved to the winery. There, the grapes are meticulously sorted by our experienced cellar team and machinery equipped with optical sensors that can evaluate individual berries. This helps ensure the fruit meets the ripeness and quality standards required for Beringer wines.
The clusters then enter the de-stemmer, where soft, rubber-tipped paddles gently separate the berries from their stems. Depending on the wine, grapes may then be lightly crushed, left whole or handled using a combination of both approaches.
For red wines, the juice generally spends time in contact with the grape skins to extract color, flavor and tannin before and during fermentation. Selected yeasts begin converting the natural sugars in the grapes into alcohol, and many wines later undergo malolactic fermentation to soften their texture and acidity.
After fermentation, the young wine is allowed to settle before being racked, separating the clarified wine from heavier solids. From there, it moves into tanks or barrels for aging.
Some Beringer wines may ultimately showcase a single variety from a single vineyard, while others are assembled from several lots and varieties. Those individual lots give our winemakers a broader palette as they begin tasting, blending and shaping each finished wine.
What 2026 Means in Your Glass
The 2026 wines are still in their earliest stages, but the vintage is beginning to reveal its character. Here is what our winemakers are seeing so far.
| Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley |
Deep color and promising concentration, with softer tannins and an approachable structure. |
| Cabernet Sauvignon Knights Valley |
Rich color and developing structure, with early signs of balance and depth. |
| Chardonnay | Generous flavor from the early-ripening vintage with a balanced profile. |
| Merlot | Beautiful color concentration and softer tannins with rich texture. |
| Pinot Noir | Bright color and wild berry notes supported by lively natural acidity. |
Frequently Asked Questions
When will Beringer’s 2026 wines be available?
Our 2026 white and rosé wines will begin releasing in early to mid-2027. Wines requiring little or no barrel aging, such as our Knights Valley Mountain Rosé, will arrive first, followed by wines with shorter aging programs, including our Private Reserve Chardonnay. Cabernet Sauvignon and other wines requiring extended barrel aging will generally begin releasing in 2029 and 2030.
What is malolactic fermentation?
Malolactic fermentation is a secondary process carried out by bacteria rather than yeast. During the process, sharper malic acid, the type of acidity associated with tart green apples, is converted into softer lactic acid. The result can give a wine a rounder, softer texture. Malolactic fermentation is common in red wines and richer styles of Chardonnay, while it may be avoided in wines where the winemaker wants to retain brighter acidity and fresh fruit character.
Where are Beringer’s vineyards located?
The majority of Beringer’s vineyards are located throughout Napa Valley, from the valley floor to hillside sites. Our Knights Valley vineyards sit just across the Napa County line in Sonoma County, where Beringer has farmed since the mid-1960s. We also work with select growers in Napa and Sonoma who share our commitment to quality and thoughtful vineyard stewardship.
