Vintage Notes Flooding kicked off the New Year in Napa Valley, which made for great news headlines, but did little damage to dormant vines, as seasonal cover crops stabilized soils in vineyards and rain continued late into spring. Gray skies and cool, wet weather delayed bud break by a few weeks, but also kept frost at bay. By early June, the sun came out and vines began to bloom and set fruit. In mid-July, a record-setting heat wave lasted about ten days. Whatever grapes may have been sunburned were removed during the normal post-veraison cluster thinning. Seasonal and somewhat cooler weather returned in August. The mild weather pattern continued throughout the harvest, allowing for moderately paced and deliberate ripening and a long harvest period.