Harvest Season in the Okanagan: When the Bubbles Begin

There’s a hum in the vineyards. Not the hum of bees or distant tractors, but of anticipation. It’s harvest season in the Okanagan—when nature, science, tradition, and timing come together to begin the next chapter in a bottle of wine. And for sparkling wine lovers like us, this is where the magic starts.

Signs It’s Time to Harvest

Harvest doesn’t begin with a date on a calendar—it begins with signs from the vines. Winemakers and vineyard managers rely on:

• Brix Levels (Sugar Content): Sparkling wines are typically harvested earlier than still wines to preserve natural acidity. The ideal Brix level is around 17–20° for sparkling wine, lower than for still wine.
  

• Titratable Acidity & pH: High acidity is key for crisp, refreshing bubbles. pH and acidity tests are done in labs and in the field.
  

• Taste Testing: Science meets intuition. Grapes are tasted for flavour development, tannin maturity (especially for rosé bubbles), and balance.
  

• Weather Forecasts: The countdown to harvest can be accelerated by incoming rain, heat waves, or frost. Timing is critical—wait too long and the grapes lose acid; go too early and the flavour falls flat.

  
  

Picking the Grapes

Once the decision is made—it’s go time. Sparkling wine grapes are often hand-harvested, especially in premium vineyards like those across the Naramata Bench and Summerland. Why hand-pick?

• It minimizes damage to delicate grapes.
  

• Whole bunches stay intact, which is ideal for whole-cluster pressing—a method common in traditional method sparkling production.
  

• It avoids extracting bitter phenolics from seeds and stems, which can happen with machine harvesting.
  

Early morning is prime time for picking—cooler temps preserve the fruit’s freshness and reduce the chance of spontaneous fermentation before the grapes reach the winery.

From Vineyard to Crush Pad

Once picked, the grapes move quickly to the winery. Here's what happens next:

Step 1: Sorting

Even hand-picked grapes can have a few stragglers. Grapes are sorted to remove underripe or damaged fruit and any stray leaves.

Step 2: Whole Cluster Pressing

For sparkling wines, especially those made in the Traditional Method (aka Méthode Champenoise), whole clusters are gently pressed to extract juice without harsh tannins or color from the skins (unless you're making a rosé sparkler, in which case some skin contact is intentional).

Step 3: Juice Clarification

The freshly pressed juice is left to settle overnight so solids can drop out. Clear juice leads to clean fermentation and elegant wine.

Step 4: Primary Fermentation

Yeast is added, and the sugars in the juice are converted into alcohol—this is the base wine, still and tart, awaiting its next transformation into bubbly bliss.

Harvest Culture in the Okanagan

Harvest time is not just a process—it’s a culture. There’s an energy in the valley that’s palpable. Vineyard crews, interns, and winemakers share long days, hearty meals, and the satisfaction of a season’s work coming to fruition.

You’ll find harvest playlists blasting in cellars, hands stained with grape juice, and maybe even a celebratory glass of Prosecco as the first loads come in.

For wineries focused on sparkling wine—like Fitzpatrick Family Vineyards, Evolve Sparkling House, or Township 7—harvest means extra precision, cooler nights, and earlier mornings. The pursuit of perfect bubbles starts now.

Why It Matters to You, the Bubble Lover

Every glass of sparkling wine tells the story of harvest. The crisp acidity, the delicate fruit, the finesse—none of it happens by accident. It’s the result of science, patience, and a little bit of sparkling magic.

So next time you pop a bottle from the Okanagan, take a moment to toast the pickers in the vineyard, the cellar hands by the press, and the winemakers tasting grapes at sunrise. Because behind every bubble... is a season’s worth of effort.

Pop, Fizz, Cheers—