Early report and favorite photographs of the start of the 2024 Lodi harvest

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Old vine Carignan harvest in Lodi' s Mokelumne River AVA, September 2, 2024.

For most of Lodi's smaller, handcraft wineries, the 2024 wine grape harvest began in mid-August. The pace of the picking of old vine blocks, which are generally lower yielding than younger trellised vineyards, picked up during the last week of August and first week of September.

A big question for much of the industry has been how much of an impact 2024's extraordinary heat waves, which began in June, will have on grape quality and yield. One initial impression shared by Markus Wine Co. owner/grower/winemaker Markus Niggli⏤who began picking his Nicolini Ranch Carignan (oldest vines planted in the 1930s) on September 2, and Rous Vineyard (Zinfandel planted in 1909) on September 5⏤was the following: The heat waves have had negligible impact. 

2024 old vine Carignan harvest in Lodi's Nicolini Ranch, described as "better than ever" despite California's recent heat domes.

In fact, Niggli describes the sugar/acid balance of the Nicolini Ranch Carignan as being "better than ever." According to Niggli:

What we are seeing this year out in the field is that the heat in July did stall the growing process, but the berries were able to keep the skin and the acid levels intact. We are seeing a higher level of quality in comparison to, say, the 2022 vintage, when the heat during the harvest made made picking hard. Don’t get me wrong, the 2022s are very intense and powerful wines, but I believe we are seeing even more freshness of fruit and balance of acidity in the current vintage, 2024. In my playground, this has been the key to making good wines.

Rous Vineyard owner/grower Craig Rous among his ancient vine Zinfandel (115 years old), in the morning of 2024's first picking, this past September 5.

Rous Vineyard owner Craig Rous, a winemaker/winegrower with a lifetime of experience in the Lodi appellation, is reporting similar observations; telling us:

The 2024 grapes from Rous Vineyard will make the winemakers very happy! Although heat is not usually preferable, the June hot spell came during the time of berry sizing, resulting in clusters that are very loose, with really small berries. Especially for Zinfandel, this is a big plus. As a result, color and flavors are more concentrated. Yields are also lower due to the smaller berries, which can be a harbinger for higher quality. The early September harvest is also an indicator of ideal acidity and pH balance, adding to the quality of the eventual wines.

Historic Vineyard Society sign at Harney Lane Winery's Lizzy James Vineyard on harvest morning.

Harney Lane Winery owner Kyle Lerner, who picked his landmark Lizzy James Vineyard (Zinfandel planted in 1904 and the 1970s) on September 4, took time from his hectic week to make some remarks, perhaps more from the perspective of a glass-half-full vintner than a glass-half-empty grower, although he is both a grower and vintner:

Each season is always different than the one prior. This year certainly didn’t disappoint. With a late wet spring and above average temperatures this summer, it certainly kept us on our toes. Harvest is stacked this year, everything coming in at the same time. Fruit chemistry is reflective of the warmer summer, giving us some lower acids, although overall quality is already showing "fantastic." I would expect to see some great wines coming from this vintage.

Markus Wine Co. partner Jon Bjork was able to provide an excellent visual of how the heat domes of 2024 have impacted the vintage⏤particularly in comparison to previous vintages⏤so far. Bjork has been tracking Lodi's degree days (i.e., measures of daily temperature above or below 65º Fahrenheit) through numbers tracked by the Western Weather Group at Lodi's Victor North Station:

An interpretation of these figures, according to Bjork:

We had been tracking in line with the five year (2019-2023) average up until the wall-to-wall record heat waves which began in June. All that heat jacked us up to run with accumulated seasonal heat similar to what we experienced during the 2017 vintage. 

With the cooling during the last third of the month of August, we have dropped back a little closer to average. As of this past week, ending September 7, we are 4.1% above average. Nice to see that the forecast is pointing to somewhat average temperatures and minimal rainfall during the rest of harvest, September through November.

Markus Niggli and Nicolini Vineyard owner Al Nicolini looking at 2024 Carignan harvest. Jon Bjork.

Although Markus Wine Co. is a small producer, its portfolio is broad enough to give a good assessment on how the 2024 harvest has been shaping up thus far. According to Mr. Niggli,

Of the six different lots currently sitting in our tanks, our Kerner grapes, grown by Mokelumne Glen Vineyards, came in a little earlier than usual, picked on August 17th. The yield of the Kerner [a white wine grape originating in Germany as a cross of Trollinger and Riesling] was a little light, but I would describe the quality as exceptional, with very good TA (i.e., titratable acidity). The white wine grapes came in early enough not to have too many cold or moist mornings in that particular field, located alongside the Mokelumne River, which would have been the playground for mildew.

Close-up of 2024 Mokelumne Glen Vineyards Kerner, just three weeks before harvest on August 17.

Our Grüner Veltliner pick [farmed for Niggli by LangeTwins Family] was on August 16th. I'd describe the quality as "great," coming in with good acid levels and Brix (i.e., grape sugar reading) on the lower side, at about 22° [translation: a projected Alcohol by Volume of around 12.0%, ideal for this varietal white].

Going back to the quality of the Nicolini Ranch Carignan, I am extremely pleased. It is interesting how picking days have been changing⏤in 2021 Nicolini was the first red wine come in (around Aug 28th), whereas in 2022 it was the last pick of the season (first week in October). In 2024, Nicolini was again the first of the reds picked. Fruit is of great quality with no bunch rot⏤sugars starting around 22.7° Brix [estimated 13% ABV]—and yields reduced by 15% compared to previous years.

2024 Rous Vineyard Zinfandel harvest.

The 2024 Rous Vineyard Zinfandel is my first year using grapes from this vineyard, over 100 years old. Of course, I am super-excited to get my hands on something of this level. To me, this vineyard is like a Holy Grail of Lodi Zinfandel. My job will be to do my best not to mess up the fermentation in the tank—to achieve the high level of fruit quality long established by this vineyard.

Finally, in recent years we have been harvesting Viognier from Lodi's Berghold Vineyard. This year the fruit profile is very concentrated, of excellent quality⏤a good year to make some stunning whites. Even with the current heat sitting on us, the wines are just hanging and waiting it out before we can expect the big rush starting next week [September 9-14] after the heat break. So far, an excellent start!

More of our favorite photographs of the 2024 Lodi harvest thus far...

Picking of younger Zinfandel plants (interplanted during the 1970s) in Lizzy James Vineyard.

Brief break while waiting for tractor pulling macrobins during Nicolini Ranch Carignan harvest.

Starting before sunrise, picker wearing headlamps picking Zinfandel in Lizzy James Vineyard.

Half-ton macrobins being filled in Lizzy James Vineyards as the sun rises over the Sierras.

Ancient vine and perfect clusters of Zinfandel in Lizzy James Vineyard.

Picking the oldest Zinfandel vines (planted in 1904) in Lizzy James Vineyard.

Close-up of Zinfandel on muscular arm of ancient vine (planted in 1909) in Rous Vineyard.

Harvesting Lizzy James Vineyard Zinfandel at the break of dawn.

Juxtaposition of Zinfandel of different ages interplanted in Lizzy James Vineyard; plantings from the 1970s (above) and 1904 (below).

Nicolini Ranch Carignan harvest.

Back breaking work of picking older vines, with thick spurs sprawled over the sandy ground, in Lizzy James Vineyard.

Rous Vineyard Zinfandel harvest.

Rising sun peeking through cherry orchard alongside Rous Vineyard during the early September Zinfandel harvest.