Green Drop in the Vineyards

Green drop occurs at the early stage of verasion, as the grapes are reaching their deep red color. The vineyard crews walk the long rows of vines, and those grapes that are deemed too green are cut from the vine to achieve a uniformity of development for the remaining grapes. Sometimes, we may cut up to half the yield to ensure uniformity of grape ripening and to keep the vines in balance.

At our Seco Highlands Estate vineyard, for instance, we produce some of the finest Pinot Noir in the world. It takes more than selecting the perfect terroir to grow these grapes. It takes a commitment to deliberately reduce yields in order to consistently deliver world-class wines.

As you can see, even winemakers must make sacrifices for their art. But the result is worth it.