Is Mother Nature Menopausal?

Mother Nature has been acting rather hormonal lately. Erratic weather conditions and unpredictable swings in temperature have left even the most seasoned grower/vintner guessing as to when harvest will start. Honestly, I can't remember an odder summer. (I actually experienced better weather in Maine than we've had here.)

As everyone scrambles to get ready for the 2010 harvest, most are speculating that things won't really get started until mid-September. That's a good 3 weeks later than normal. Of course, first to get picked is always Pinot Noir and Chardonnay intended for sparkling wine production. My good buddy Judy Jordon over at J Wine Company brought her first load of fruit in last Wednesday. In the still wine business, most of us are still waiting patiently on the sidelines.

Postponing harvest isn't necessarily a bad thing. In theory, the slower the grapes ripen, the more complex and concentrated the fruit will be. Maybe that's why Ken Wilson, friend and grower of our Wilson Ranch Chenin Blanc is so optimistic. In his words, “I don't know what everyone is all worried about, we've had fabulous growing conditions.” Easy for him to say…he's over there in the Sacramento Delta where they're just happy to be growing grapes!

Here in Sonoma County, many of us are still recovering from the blistering heat that bombarded us last week. (It spiked to over 110 degrees within a 24 hour period.) Those who were overly zealous in their spring leaf thinning (in order to get better air flow to minimize the possibility of mold and mildew) really got nailed, losing up to 50% of the crop to sunburn damage. Fortunately, we've got a seasoned captain at our helm who made sure we didn't end up in this boat. (Boating pun intended!)

While Mother Nature might be menopausal, and winemakers are getting a bit skittish, it's the growers who tend to be the most anxious of all. For them it's all about harvesting their grapes as soon as humanly possible.  Their livelihood depends on it. Which is why it's a constant tug o' war. Growers want their crops off early so they can get paid as soon as possible. Winemakers want to prolong the arrival of fruit until conditions are ideal and ripeness is optimal. If you happen to be BOTH the grower and the producer, like we are, you pick when you're darn well good and ready and try to stay one step ahead of Mother Nature, after all…

Everyone knows not to mess with Mother Nature!

Click to enlarge!   Click to enlarge!

Sunburned grapes due to
Mother Nature's hot flash

 

Happy grapes due to proper shading and Mother Nature's natural A/C

| | Comments (1)

1 Comments


JohnLopresti Author Profile Page said:
September 8, 2010 9:48 AM

I need to modernize my canopy training information. The comparison photos help.

Also, during the month prior, there was a prominent newspaper's image of a different problem in grape bunches, early botrytis rot, which the grower was attributing to late burnoff of morning fog, compared to years prior; there were several low-elevation AVAs mentioned as reporting delayed fruit maturity because of more aggregate hours of unseasonably low ambient temperature while the vineyards were fogged in.

My own impressions also include increased intensity of ultraviolet as part of the sunburn problem, perhaps representing a sufficiently different condition compared to classical canopy statistics, that it might be worthwhile to revisit leaf thinning math. That is, sunlight now has stronger uv composition than in the days when extensive leaf thinning became a best vineyard practice.

Leave a comment

About this Entry

This page contains a single entry by Kim published on August 31, 2010 2:49 PM.

Life is Good! was the previous entry in this blog.

The Times They Are A-Changin' is the next entry in this blog.

Find recent content on the main index or look in the archives to find all content.

welcome!

This is a blog about what it's really like to be in the wine industry...so sit back, take a sip and enjoy!

about me

our wines

our winery

our events

contact me

privacy statement



favorite posts

A Lifetime in Wine

Top 10 Traits of the Successful Family Winery

The Dreaded Family Meeting

Board Meeting Jitters

Is the Future of the Winery in Danger?

The Case of the Overweight Bottle

Wine and Dementia

Wanted: Talented (Normal) Individual for Family Owned Winery

A Sea of Wine

The Heroes of Our Industry


monthly archives


subscribe


Hopes & Dreams

Owning a Coastal Cottage

Sailing for 6 Months

Getting a 100 Point Score

Favorite Haunts

Coast of Maine

Dry Creek General Store

Dry Creek Kitchen

Healdsburg Bar & Grill

Spoonbar

Sonoma Country Antiques

Baci Cafe & Wine Bar

The Farmhouse

Istanbul's Grand Bazaar

Bad Ass Coffee

Bistro Ralph

Bits of Press

Food & Wine Magazine

The Wine News

Wine Enthusiast

Wine Spectator

Press Democrat

Sunset Magazine

Connoisseurs' Guide

Dan Berger's Vintage Experiences

Cruising World Magazine

Oprah Magazine

The Washington Post

Coastal Living Magazine

Wine & Spirits Magazine

People Magazine

SAG Awards Magazine

Forbes Magazine

Favorite Magazines

Coastal Living

Down East

Sunset

Country Living

Quarterly Review of Wines

Wines & Vines

Wine Spectator

Wine Enthusiast

California Grapevine

Connoisseurs' Guide

Practical Winery & Vineyard

WineReviewOnline

Vineyard & Winery Mgmt

Blog Buddy List

Fermentation

Hip Tastes

Pinot Blogger

All The Best

Julia Flynn Siler

Vinography

Winery Web Site Report

The Pour - Eric Asimov

Dr Vino

Steve Heimoff

Start Up Ladies

Good Wine Under $20

Blind Muscat

The Wineroad Blog

Gabe's View

Wine Peeps

Vici Vino

Cellarmistress' Cellar Talk

Uncork Life

WineVine-Imports Blog

The Wine Witch

SOURMASHED


Honorable Mentions

Fermentation
Wilma Hits The World of Blogs
Most Intriguing New Wine Blogs of 2008
Midwest Wine Guy
Winery of the Month
Julia Flynn Siler
Meritage wines - and a fascinating glimpse into family business
Winery Web Site Report
New Winery Blog: Wilma's Wine World
Start Up Ladies
Insider's View of Family Owned Dry Creek Vineyard
The Glue that Keeps the Whole Thing Going
Atlanta Dish
Blog of the Week
Blind Muscat
The Merits of Meritage
Wineries.net
Boston Wine Expo exhibitors, and the reason why winemakers are so darn happy