Veraison is here!

This marks the beginning of the end for my growing season, though Pinot Noir is the very last thing picked in the entire valley.

Over the next 45 days, these grapes will deepen in color and develop incredible depth in flavor due to the continued hot days, but increasingly cool evenings.

That's what makes high elevation wines special. These massive diurnal shifts in temperature from day to night are what make High Elevation wines so special.

Put succinctly, it slows down ripening and helps preserve acidity in grapes.

Warm days push sugar accumulation and flavor development, while cool nights lock in freshness and aromatic intensity. The result is wines with more balance: ripe fruit character from the heat and bright structure and complexity from the chill.

This is what makes Pinot Noir from Paonia so unique and special.