Harvest Progress

Now that we have actually harvested some cultivars, we are seeing how our estimated harvest stacks up to the real deal.

We knew our estimates were questionable. The subzero temperatures in January damaged the vines, resulting in very erratic plant yields: one vine had only a few small clusters, the next a fairly full crop.

Another big variable is the actual size of individual berries. If the average for a cultivar is 1.0 grams per berry, and the actual is 0.9 grams per berry, you have a crop variance of over 10%.

The adage is that in a light year, we pick out light.

So far, that’s our experience.

The weather since January has been very good for grape vines. Spring was a bit cool, with low heat stress on the vines, giving them a chance to rebuild cold-damaged tissues. When the weather suddenly got hot, above average by 20 degrees, and we recorded the highest temperature ever on our farm, 108; the vines were OK, and none collapsed. Whew! I’ve experienced years when the first heat wave caused over 25% of blocks to just wilt. They then needed to be trained up from the root system.

That hot spell probably resulted in enough stress to reduce berry size. That’s OK; medium to slightly small berries have more concentrated flavors than the really big ones.

The fruit is in a good mode. The big cool-down in mid-August slowed down ripening so we are on an average harvest schedule. Cool, slow ripening results in more aromatic wines. Wine is all about aroma! The 30 days before harvest are the really critical time. I’m hoping for average weather!

At this point, any producer who doesn’t make really good stuff should quit. Mother Nature cooperated, and if you were a good vineyard manager, you would have excellent fruit. If you were a good winemaker, you wouldn’t mess it up!

In conclusion, there should be lower yields and excellent qualities. Since we are in surplus, that is a good combination.