Fall to vintners is synonymous with wine harvest. A time when grapes start to ripen, temperatures become slightly cooler and wine country is bustling with activity. It’s like the playoffs of winemaking and a beautiful time to visit Napa Valley to see where your favorite iconic wines are made firsthand.

There’s a “smell of fermentations permeating the air, waffling over the valley with the intoxicating aromas of another vintage, with the possibility of greatness but promising nothing in surety,” Michael Updegraff, managing director at Lail Vineyards, says.

Here, several Napa Valley vineyards and winemakers share insider knowledge of what goes on during harvest.

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