Kushman By The Bottle: Vineyards And Wildfires Wednesday, August 12, 2015 | Sacramento, CA Listen / download audio Update RequiredTo play audio, update browser or Flash plugin. The Terra d'Oro vineyard uses sustainable farming practices including using recycled water and rainwater runoff to augment groundwater supply. Ed Joyce / Capital Public Radio Many wine grape growers in Northern California are harvesting early this year. You might think lack of water is causing the grapes to ripen earlier, but that’s not exactly the case. In this month’s installment of Kushman By the Bottle, Capital Public Radio’s resident wine expert Rick Kushman explains how warm weather affects grape maturity.