October has arrived, which means harvest season is officially in full swing across the North Fork of Long Island and is time for a North Fork Harvest Update. This is one of the most exciting times of year in Long Island Wine Country. As you drive along the North Fork this month, you’ll likely spot tractors hauling freshly picked grapes from vineyard to winery as harvest activity ramps up across the East End.
While September focused heavily on sparkling wine and white grape harvest, October marks the transition into red wine harvest season. Vineyards and wineries are buzzing with activity as the team carefully monitors ripeness, weather conditions, and fermentation progress.
Winemaker Russell Hearn and Director of Viticulture John Fondacaro shared an inside look at what’s currently happening in both the vineyard and winery as Harvest 2024 continues.
On the final day of September, we completed harvesting our Chardonnay—one of the last white wine varieties to come into the winery this season. At this point, nearly all white grape varieties have been harvested, with only Riesling still ripening on the vine.
This year’s sparkling wine grapes were harvested at ideal ripeness levels, maintaining the bright natural acidity essential for quality sparkling wine production.
Cool daytime temperatures and below-average evening temperatures throughout September played a major role in preserving freshness and acidity across the vineyard. Those conditions benefited not only our sparkling wine grapes, but also varieties like:
As a result, the fruit developed beautiful flavor concentration while retaining vibrant acidity and balance.
The first week of October signals the start of harvest for grapes destined for Rosé production, including:
In warmer years, high nighttime temperatures can quickly burn through grape acidity, forcing earlier harvest decisions. Fortunately, cooler conditions this season allowed the fruit to continue ripening steadily while maintaining freshness.
Looking ahead:
At this stage of harvest season, vineyard conditions depend heavily on the weather. Sunshine, cool nights, and limited rainfall are always the goal as the remaining red grapes continue ripening.
So for now—we wait, monitor the vineyard daily, and keep hoping for blue skies.
Inside the winery, early October brings a brief transition period between white wine harvest and red wine harvest.
Most of the white and Rosé fruit is now safely in tank and actively fermenting. After several weeks of long harvest days, the winery and cellar teams get a short moment to regroup before the next wave of fruit arrives.
Over the coming days, the team will focus on:
Before long, the pace will accelerate once again as the red wine harvest begins in full.
Harvest season is one of the most dynamic and important times of year on the North Fork. Every vineyard decision and every fermentation helps shape the wines that will eventually make their way into the bottle.
Want to catch up on how the season started? Be sure to read our September Harvest Update for an earlier look at Harvest 2024 on the North Fork.
