Harvest Season

Meet the people who prune, bud, harvest, sample, press, and blend grapes from wood vine to bottle and bring together the extraordinary tastes of some of the world’s great wines produced in our neighboring Napa Valley. Director Bernardo Ruiz explores all the stages of wine production as seen and sensed by the individuals who contribute to the journey of these grapes from vine to vintage. Three storylines illustrate the passions of harvesters and winemakers in search of “the heart of the grape:” A migrant worker travels to Napa from Mexico to work the fields; Sonoma-born Vanessa Robledo embodies a proud heritage of three generations of Latino viticulturists through her leadership of Robledo, Black Coyote, and Mi Sueno wineries; and veteran winemaker Gustavo Brambila - whose story, in part, inspired the film Bottle Shock - produces his own label. Their stories converge during the all-important harvest season, dramatically affected by the 2017 wildfires in Napa and Sonoma counties. (Mill Valley Film Festival)