Arizona wineries experience early harvest season

The grape harvest is already over at some Arizona wineries, because the nights have been warmer.

In the Verde Valley, the grapes hit their peak sooner than usual, forcing an early harvest.

Barbara Predmore owns Cantara Vineyards in the Verde Valley near Sedona. She said the grapes were ready several weeks earlier than usual.

“I think one of the reasons that the grapes developed faster is we didn’t have low temperatures in the evening,” Predmore said.

That gave the grapes more day time to get sweet… faster.

Predmore said they did have an early freeze but not the worst ever.

It was a little bit different, a little bit trying this year, because all a sudden, everything had to come together a lot faster,” Predmore said. “But we’re good, we handle it, we’re farmers. We can do it.”

She said they are already done for the season, two to three weeks early.

Related

The Latest: Trump pivots back to sanctions for Iran as other strategies to end his war fizzleDemocratic Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs chooses former Republican Mayor John Giles as her running mateBetter pay would be a start for fixing Arizona’s teacher shortage, but it’s not the only solutionIranian-backed Houthi rebels renew attacks on key port city, and other developments in the MideastOil prices settle, Wall Street inches higher ahead of new inflation numbers due this weekThunderstorms outside Valley bring dust, winds to Phoenix metro area