Chandon Calls Earliest First Pick in 53 Years

YOUNTVILLE: Chandon California made winery history in late July when winemaker Pauline Lhote called the earliest first pick in the winery's 53-year history, kicking off the 2026 sparkling harvest in Napa Valley. Lhote gathered her team in the cool early morning hours to bring in 30 tons of Chardonnay from Chandon's Yountville estate.

The start broke Chandon's most recent record of August 3, set in 2021. Only two other Napa vintages, 2014 and 2015, had ever begun in July.

Photograph by Brocken Inaglory / via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Sparkling producers always pick earlier than still-wine makers, harvesting at lower sugar levels to protect the acidity that gives sparkling wine its lift. Even by that early schedule, a July first pick is without precedent at Chandon, whose 53 harvests had never started before August 3.

The July start put Chandon weeks ahead of the valley's broader harvest. In Yountville, Tom Gamble began picking on Aug. 12, about two weeks earlier than last year, and most Napa fruit was still on the vine when Chandon's Chardonnay came in.

The early start capped a whiplash growing season that began with an extremely warm March and an unusually wet spring. "It was really bud break and March heat that set the stage for this historically early harvest, followed by a milder, cooler April and rainy spring that lingered into June," Lhote said. The late rain brought weed and disease pressure plus some shatter in the vineyards, keeping Chandon's all-female winemaking team especially vigilant. Wind and rain during flowering hit Cabernet Sauvignon, but Chardonnay and Pinot Noir were largely spared, giving Chandon's core sparkling varieties a better fruit set.

Photograph by Kiddo27 / via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Smaller crop, high hopes

On crop size, Lhote was candid. "We are seeing good quality but lower yields for sparkling than initially anticipated, down approximately 15 to 20 percent," she said. Smaller cluster weights explained the gap, with millerandage, sometimes called "hen and chicken," visible on a number of clusters.

The historic harvest arrived as Chandon was freshly recertified across its regenerative farming programs: Regenified, Napa Green, California Sustainable, Fish Friendly Farming and Bee Friendly Farming. "Overall, we have exceptional soil health and healthy vines, and it's great to see that our sustainability efforts pay off regardless of weather," Lhote said. The vineyard's flock of sheep did its part too; the winery welcomed eight baby lambs this winter from its own sheep at the Carneros ranch.