(PE) - Among the many things to do in a typical July in Southwest Riverside County are free concerts in the park, Hot Summer Nights events in Old Town Temecula and leisurely visits to the more than 40 wineries that fill the countryside.

This year, for the first time in memory there, is something new.

Experiencing the grape harvest in the local vineyards has rarely been on a July to-do list but that’s just what is happening now in the vineyards of Temecula’s Wine County and across the state.

Local vineyard manager Ben Drake could recall only one time in the more than 40 years he was worked the local vineyards when the local harvest came anywhere near this early.

Drake tends about 300 acres of vineyards for 65 property owners. The Temecula Valley has about 1,500 acres of vineyards.

“I think part of (the early harvest) has to do with the drought and the mild winter we just had,” said Drake. “Plus we had a really mild spring and summer so far. This is about the earliest start I can remember.”

Because of the historic drought, over the winter months Temecula wineries had to water their dormant vineyards for the first time in anyone’s memory. Seasonal rain is usually enough to keep the vineyards wet until spring.

Telltale signs of an early harvest included an early bud break in the vineyards and veraison, which is already well underway across the state.

Veraison is a not a little town just outside of Sausalito, or the name of your phone company.

Simply put – which is the only way I could understand it – veraison is when the sugar levels in wine grapes begin to rise and acid levels begin to fall meaning the fruit is getting closer to being picked, pressed and made into wine.

The grapes begin to turn color – white grapes go from green to almost golden and red wine grapes begin to blush – meaning harvest is just around the corner.

Phil Baily, of Baily Vineyard and Winery — who has been making wine locally for almost 30 years — had his crew begin to pick on Tuesday, July 22.

“The big thing was the mild winter,” Baily said. “We’ve never picked in July before.  We’re about 10 days ahead of schedule.”

The cool of the early morning or late in the evening is when most of the harvesting takes place.

Workers started picking in one of Baily’s vineyards around 3 a.m. and by 7 a.m. more than five tons of riesling grapes were sitting in steel gondola’s waiting to be crushed.