This is IT
If you want to spot a winemaker during harvest, just look for the uniform.
Sleep-starved eyes, perpetually purple-stained hands, the lingering scent of fermenting grape juice on grubby clothes.
Every single bottle you have drunk this year started its life in this exact, brilliant madness.
But of course, for our independent winemakers, harvest isn't just a season. It’s their entire year’s work boiling down to a few frantic, make-or-break weeks.
In the Northern Hemisphere, the starter gun fires mid-summer with veraison – the magical moment the hard green berries soften and change colour – but by August, the marathon (although it feels like a sprint) has begun in the hottest regions, rolling right through to late October (or even November) in cooler climes.
During this window, they worry about a million different things to make sure your job is as easy as pulling the cork and pouring.
They’re out walking the vines at dawn, chewing on grapes just to check if the berries are juicy enough to pick. They’re waking up in a cold sweat to check the forecast – because as winemakers like Scott Kelley will tell you, rain is the ultimate enemy, kicking off a frantic dash to rally picking crews before the storms hit.
They go to extremes. Take Scott Peterson, who harvests in the dead of night, banking on the cold midnight air to lock in the grapes' freshness. And Katie Jones, who meticulously ferments the pickings of her decades-old vineyards separately – to preserve the unique character of each plot.
And if it takes a village to raise a child? Well it also takes one to raise a wine.
In Italy, Marica Bonomo’s harvest relies on a tight-knit crew – sticking together like glue through early mornings and late evenings on their Lake Garda estate.
Sometimes, it’s a literal village. Ask England’s Kieron Atkinson, who calls on local volunteers to help bring in his fruit in the bracing autumn air. Indeed if you’re based near Kieron in Derbyshire – keep an eye on your inbox for an invite, as he wants YOU to get hands-on with harvest this year.
It's a collective, mental sprint that almost always ends in one big blowout harvest party – and usually, the most refreshing cold pint of beer (how ironic) a winemaker will drink all year.
So come with us this September as we explore your Naked winemakers’ harvests – from old vine magic to cellar science and season finale feasts.
Here’s what we’ve got lined up this month…
Experience Harvest LIVE
Harvest doesn’t sleep, and for the next few weeks, neither will your winemakers.
Check out our Harvest Updates Page to see the latest grape-stained updates from your winemakers across the Northern Hemisphere. Here’s a taste of what’s going down already…
Stephen Millier (our California legend) is celebrating his 51st (and earliest ever) harvest. First up to the press: two tonnes of Calaveras County Semillon.
Daryl Groom is doing sugar readings and working the vines alongside his daughter and fellow winemaker, Kara – their harvest is kicking off any minute…
Franck Massard and Katie Jones are scrubbing out tanks, servicing presses, and getting the cellar completely spotless before the harvest madness descends.
Harvest rule #1: Never drink alone.
Every bottle you enjoy at Naked happened because Angels like you funded the hard graft.
Share the harvest love and bring a wine-loving mate into the fold with your referral link.
