The 2026 growing season in Napa and Sonoma started early. A warm winter brought budbreak nearly a month ahead of schedule, and a mild summer followed, giving the vines slow, even ripening. Etude harvested its first grapes in July, the first time Senior Winemaker Jon Priest has done so in his career. Jon reports fruit with great color, depth, character, and balance, and young wines that are already showing exceptional quality.
A Vintage of Firsts
Every vintage teaches us something. Some teach patience. Some teach speed. The 2026 vintage taught us how quickly a season can move when the winter forgets to be cold.
Senior Winemaker Jon Priest has made wine in California for many years. In 2026, for the first time, he brought grapes in from the vineyard in July. What could have been a hectic race turned out to be something far calmer: a mild summer slowed the pace once the vines woke up, and the fruit ripened evenly, with no weather extremes to force anyone's hand.
The 2026 Season at a Glance
| Season marker | What we saw in 2026 |
|---|---|
| Winter | Warm, which pushed vines out of dormancy early |
| Budbreak | Nearly one month earlier than usual |
| Summer | Mild, with no weather extremes |
| Ripening | Slow and even |
| First harvest | July, a first in Jon Priest's winemaking career |
| Fruit quality | Great color, depth, character, and balance |
| Young wines | Already showing exceptional quality |
How the Season Unfolded
A warm winter set an early pace. Vines rely on cold winter nights to rest. When winter runs warm, they wake sooner, and budbreak arrived in 2026 nearly a month ahead of a typical year. That early start set the harvest calendar forward from the beginning.
A mild summer gave the season its balance. Early budbreak can lead to hurried ripening, but this summer did not cooperate with that script. Moderate temperatures kept ripening slow and even across our blocks. Without heat spikes or sudden swings, the team could follow the fruit instead of chasing the weather.
July picks, calm days. Etude was not alone in an early start. Napa Valley growers reported some picks arriving close to three weeks ahead of normal after a warm spring accelerated vine development. At Etude, the early timeline came without the drama. As Jon puts it below, most days ended early.
From the Winery: Jon Priest on 2026
"2026 will be a vintage I’ll remember for a long time. In all my years of winemaking, this was the first time I’ve harvested grapes in July. A warm winter brought budbreak nearly a month earlier than usual, but fortunately a mild summer followed, giving us wonderfully even, slow ripening and beautiful, high-quality fruit with great color, depth, character, and balance. Honestly, a winemaker could get used to a vintage like this: no weather extremes, steady ripening, home early most days, and not much drama. The young wines are already showing exceptional quality, and I’m really looking forward to watching them evolve and blossom."
- Jon Priest, Senior Winemaker and General Manager, Etude Wines
Notice the word "even." In winemaking, evenness is the quiet foundation of quality. When fruit ripens at a steady pace, sugars, flavors, and tannins develop together, and that is what Jon is describing when he mentions color, depth, character, and balance in the same breath.
2026 and 2025, Side by Side
Last year's harvest was defined by a cool, unhurried season. This year's started early and then settled into the same sense of calm. Here is how the two compare.
| 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Season character | Cool, with a mild-to-cool summer | Warm winter, mild summer |
| Start of harvest | Early August (Pinot Gris and Chardonnay) | July, a first for Jon Priest |
| Ripening pace | Slow and extended | Slow and even |
| Winemaker's takeaway | Perfumed, lifted, graceful wines | Exceptional young wines with color, depth, and balance |
You can read the full story of last year's season in our 2025 Harvest Recap.
What 2026 Means for the Wines
The 2026 wines are young, and as with every vintage, their story is still being written in barrel and tank. What we can say today comes straight from the cellar: Jon is excited by the quality he is tasting, and he is looking forward to watching these wines evolve.
Slow, even ripening tends to favor wines with clear fruit, good structure, and freshness, and that is the direction Jon's description points. We will share more as the wines develop and release dates approach.
About Grace Benoist Ranch
At Etude, we believe the best wines are grown, not made, and that winemaking begins in the vineyard long before harvest. Our estate Pinot Noir comes from Grace Benoist Ranch, tucked into the far northwest corner of the Carneros AVA at the foot of Sonoma Mountain. The ranch sits on volcanic soils and is cooled by Pacific fog and maritime breezes off San Pablo Bay, conditions that help preserve freshness and aromatics, even in a year with an early start. The ranch is made up of dozens of small vineyard parcels, each with its own soil, slope, and character. Many of them contribute to our Carneros Pinot Noir, while three are bottled on their own as single-vineyard wines (Temblor, Deer Camp, and Laniger), and Heirloom is sourced from two to three select parcels.
Learn more about Grace Benoist Ranch and our vineyards.
Taste Etude While the 2026 Wines Rest
The 2026 vintage is still in the cellar, but the vintages that came before it are ready for your table.
- Shop Etude Pinot Noir, from our flagship Carneros Pinot Noir to single-vineyard bottlings from Grace Benoist Ranch
- Explore our 90+ point wines
- Browse the full collection
- Visit us for a tasting in Carneros
FAQs: 2026 Napa and Sonoma Harvest
When did the 2026 Etude harvest begin? Etude harvested its first grapes in July 2026. According to Senior Winemaker Jon Priest, it was the first time in all his years of winemaking that he had harvested grapes in July.
Why was the 2026 harvest so early? A warm winter pulled the vines out of dormancy early, and budbreak arrived nearly a month ahead of a typical year. That head start moved the whole growing calendar forward. A mild summer then kept ripening slow and even.
Does an early harvest mean lower quality wines? Not in 2026. Timing alone does not decide quality. What mattered this year was how the fruit ripened, and a mild summer produced even, slow ripening. Jon Priest describes the fruit as high quality with great color, depth, character, and balance, and says the young wines are already showing exceptional quality.
How did the 2026 season compare to 2025? The 2025 season was cool and unhurried, with the first picks (Pinot Gris and Chardonnay) coming in early August. The 2026 season began with a warm winter and early budbreak, moved the first picks into July, and then settled into a mild summer with steady ripening. Both seasons gave the team fruit that ripened without heat extremes.
What was the weather like during the 2026 growing season? A warm winter, followed by a mild summer with no weather extremes, according to Jon Priest.
When can I taste the 2026 Etude wines? The 2026 wines are young and still developing. Release timing varies by wine. In the meantime, you can shop current Etude releases.
Who is Jon Priest? Jon Priest is Etude's Senior Winemaker and General Manager. He joined the winery in 2005 when founder Tony Soter passed the torch, and he has led Etude's winemaking program since. Learn more on his winemaker page.
Shop current Etude vintages at etudewines.com/collections/wines.
Pour & Protect.