Typically mid-August to mid-October, with peak
early September through late September.
In season now
now
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Hatched chalk = early and late shoulders; solid = peak.
Yakima Valley and Columbia Basin; the nation's biggest Concord juice harvest peaks late September.
At a glance
Early
From mid-August —
first pickings, lighter supply, best prices come later.
Peak
early September through late September — full stalls,
full flavor. This is the stretch to plan around.
Late
Through mid-October — quantity for
preserving, and the stalls start dealing.
Season length
about 9 weeks end to end, shoulders included.
U-pick grapes in Washington
Bring clean snips and cut whole clusters into shallow trays — tugging shatters the bunch. The picking window tracks the band above: early
trips get clean fields, peak (early September through late September) is the sure bet,
late season is for quantity.
Farm-to-farm variation is real — up to two weeks either side of
the typical window. Plan the trip,
then call the farm before you drive.
Grapes
Look
Full, even color for the type with the powdery white bloom still on the berries and a green, flexible stem.
Feel
Berries should be plump and hold tight to the stem; shriveled stems or showers of loose berries mean old fruit.
Smell
Ripe bunches smell sweet and grapey at the stem end — Concords and muscadines perfume the whole stand.
Tip
Taste a berry from the tip of the cluster — it ripens last, so if the bottom berry is sweet the bunch is ready.
Keeps
Refrigerate unwashed in a vented bag; most grapes keep a week or two.
Chasing the season?
Grape peak moves across the map.
After this window, it lands next in:
In Washington, the grape season typically runs mid-August to mid-October, with peak availability early September through late September. Exact weeks shift a little with each year's weather.
When should I go u-pick grapes in Washington?
Aim for peak: early September through late September. An early trip around mid-August gets first choice of clean fields; a late one is for jam-and-freezer quantity. Any single farm can run up to two weeks either side of the chart — call before you drive.
How long does grape season last in Washington?
about 9 weeks end to end — mid-August to mid-October. The early and late shoulders are real but lighter; the solid stretch of chalk on the band is the sure bet.