The first grapes we harvest at Navarro are for producing juice. Our goal, whether for wine or juice, is to produce something that is flavorful, true-to-variety and grown in a sustainable manner. In spite of the fact that we are harvesting grapes that otherwise could be made into more expensive wine, harvesting for juice is fun; it gives us a preview of the upcoming harvest. Verjus was discovered in the Middle Ages as a way to acidify foods; the grapes are harvested before they are fully ripe to provide plenty of zing. On a salad it can replace vinegar for a more wine-friendly ingredient. At home we use it in cooking to replace lemon juice, and yes, we do drink jus-ade (water, verjus, ice, and a splash of Gewürztraminer juice). A couple of weeks after the verjus harvest, we harvest Pinot Noir and Gewürztraminer for juice at the same level of ripeness as sparkling wine; harvesting them earlier would result in much less flavor and harvesting them later would make them too cloying.

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