2015 Harvest - Early, Hot, and Leisurely

Another early harvest, this year 10 days earlier than last year (which was earliest in recent memory). 

Our first two picks were in 90+F temps.  Despite early ripening in hot weather, we had good acid levels, only moderate Brix levels, and great flavors.  Climate change seems to be giving us better, more uniform ripening; and since harvest is happening before the rains begin, winemakers have the opportunity to choose when to harvest based on fruit ripeness, not on rain/rot pressure.

This year's crop is also the largest we've had since buying the vineyard in 2006, due to: additional clusters left on vines to slow ripening during early and warmer ripening period, more berries per cluster resulting from excellent bloom, and larger berries. 

Mostly Purple - Within 30 days of Harvest

We are now somewhere in the final 30 days of ripening.  In "normal" times I'd say 30 days to go, but given the early, extended bloom and current hot weather, it's hard to say how much time remains before harvest.

Clusters are much heavier than normal, with bigger berries and larger than normal berry counts.  Some raisining, in places where enlarging berries pulled stems of surrounding berries away from the main stem, and in random areas of the afternoon side of shoots that got scorched in the 2nd hot period we had that coincided with early veraison. Overall, it currently looks like a good yield of beautiful, big clusters.  A little cooling off wouldn't hurt, though.

Dijon 114:

Dijon 115:

Pommard:

Wadenswil:

Veraison Begins

First sign of veraison, 10 days earlier than last year.

Broke the Longest Hot Spell in Recent Memory, Seeds Hardening

This weekend the heat broke on a string of 90+ days, eight of them above 95F.  It is the hottest stretch in the past 10 years, at least.  The temps started spiking just after fruit set, when we had already pulled leaves on the morning side of the rows. No signs of heat or sunburn damage, though.

Assuming no major disaster ahead, it looks like an early harvest of a bumper crop.  A harder than usual quality/yield decision to make, though, given the very large and numerous multi-winged clusters and the likelihood we will be harvesting earlier than last year's unusually early harvest. We're at the point where the seeds are hardening, and this year the seeds in the wings and third clusters are hardening within 2-3 days of the primary cluster, resulting in the unusual probability of having no significant difference in ripeness between their berries at harvest.

In a normal to late year, the decision would be an easy one - drop the wings and third clusters in the next few weeks.  But if the grapes will be ripening in the relatively hot and dry late August/early September weather, perhaps as much fruit as possible should be carried to improve the chances of slowing down acid loss and sugar accumulation while the flavors develop.  And, if the berries from the wings and third clusters are ripening the same as those in the primary clusters, why drop fruit near harvest?  We'll see.

114

115

Wadenswil

Pommard

Good Fruit Set, Major Heat Spike On The Way

Bloom finished mid-last week, about a week earlier than last year.  We had a day of heavy rain early, then perfect conditions, and abundant fruit set.  Berries per cluster are higher than normal, 2 to 3 clusters per shoot, and large wings on first clusters.  A good crop to be carrying into an early harvest. This weekend through next week are predicted to be mid-90's, spiking into the 100's.  Haven't had a spike like this is forecasted to be for several seasons, I'm happy for the heavy canopy above and behind the leafed morning side of the fruit zone.

Pommard:

 

Wadenswil:

 

Dijon 115:

Dijon 114:

 

96F, Full Bloom

We're having a string of days in the 90's, like August.  The vines are in full bloom, catch wires fully clipped, shoot tips above the wires awaiting hedging. The cover crop has been plowed, and grass aisles mowed.  Forecast is for clear, dry weather with temps above normal, in the mid-80's, through month-end.  The vines are loving it, the worker is tired.

First Sign of Bloom - 2015

Shoot tips are at or above the top wires, vines are healthy, dry with temps in the 80's, first sign of bloom:

After An Early Start, Tracking to Last Year

Despite the dramatically early start to the 2015 growing season, alternating stretches of cool then seasonally warm weather have slowed vine development to a similar point as this time last year.  We are now well into the grand period of growth, with 12 leaves showing, healthy and uniform shoots elongating, and large flower inflorescences maturing.

The crimson clover cover crop has been mowed and plowed under, young vines have been tied to their bamboo training sticks, and mature vines have had their shoots tucked several times. The current forecast is showing a stretch of unseasonably warm weather this coming week, which should get shoot tips to the top wires.  We appear to be about 10-14 days out from first signs of bloom.

Typical, unwinged top inflorescence

Typical, winged bottom inflorescence

April 2015 Cumulative Heating Degree Days and Rainfall

Reflecting the month-early start to the season, April season-to-date heating degree days, at 134 HDDs, are the highest in recent years.  However, due to colder weather after budbreak, vine growth has been slow and steady, leaving us at approximately the same point in canopy development as this time last year.

Rainfall, so far this season, at 31.4 inches, is approximately 2 inches less that "normal", and about 7.5 inches more than last year.

Six Weeks Post-Budbreak: Shoots At or Approaching 1st Wire

Finished removing doubles today, shoots at or near 1st wire.  Normally would be at this point 3 weeks after budbreak, but colder weather after budbreak slowed things down considerably - a good thing this year, given budbreak was so early.  No damaging frost, yet.  Vines look uniformly healthy, with 2-3 developing flower clusters.  Good weather expected to continue.

March 2015 Season-to-Date Heating Degrees and Rainfall

Heating Degree Days:

2015 is the earliest season start in recent history, about 3 to 4 weeks early, due to early March average daily temps above the critical 51F level.

Rainfall

Rainfall during the critical dormant season through March was only 1/2 inch less than normal, while areas outside the Willamette Valley suffered through one of the driest winters on record.

Budbreak 2015 - 3/13/15

Following the earliest harvest in recent memory, we had a warmer than normal dormant season, with about 2 inches below average rainfall.  Now, we are starting the 2015 growing season at the earliest date - by far - in recent memory.  The vineyard is ready for budbreak, and the buds are breaking uniformly across all of our blocks.  Hopefully we don't get a heavy frost in the coming weeks.

I'm not a scientist...or a politician...but, does any farmer really believe that there isn't some sort of climate change occurring?