VAIL, Ariz. (KGUN) — When people think of monsoon season, wine usually isn’t the first thing that comes to mind.
But at Charron Vineyards and Winery in Vail, the weather can play a major role in how grapes develop long before they are harvested.
Harvest is still about one to two weeks away. The goal is to pick grapes at peak ripeness.
They also try to time harvest before heavy monsoon rains move in.
“The terroir, which means kind of where the grapes are grown in wine terms, for here is different than any other wine-growing region. We have Sonoita, which is a viticulture area. We have Wilcox, which is a viticulture area, and they will have harvest at different times because they just don't get the heat that we do here.”
Last year’s hot, dry conditions led to a more concentrated, intense wine, according to owner Sarah Wolff.
She said weather can dramatically affect what ends up in the bottle.
“If the grapes are swollen with rainwater, they're really fat and juicy, and the sugar content goes down. But if it's really dry, it will bake out the water and cause little tiny grapes and really intensify the flavor and really can cause that sugar to concentrate essentially and so we'll have a harvest that comes quicker because that becomes really concentrated,” Wolff explains.
As harvest approaches, they closely watch and test the sugar levels in the grapes to decide when picking can begin.
The vineyard is located about 30 minutes outside Tucson. It invites residents to take part in its harvest each year. Volunteers help pick grapes during a three-day harvest that begins early in the morning.
Sarah Wolff and her husband have owned the vineyard since 2021, but she said their connection to it started as volunteers during harvest years ago. She says the place is family-friendly, so bring the kids along!
“People are surprised by how small vineyard grapes are; they are really, really tiny. And we’re completely organic, so you can try the grapes and they are shocked by how sweet they are; they are the most delicious things that you will ever taste. After you’ve had a vineyard grape, you can’t go back to store-bought,” Wolff says.
They offer wine slushies, and if you bring your own glass, it is $6.00 off wine tastings.
Charron Vineyards is located at 18585 S Sonoita Hwy in Vail.
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Athena Kehoe is a reporter for KGUN 9, she joined the KGUN 9 team in July of 2024 after graduating from Arizona State University. Share your story ideas with Athena by emailing athena.kehoe@kgun9.com or by connecting on X/Twitter.
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