There is something about the wine industry that makes almost all vintners and winemakers part-time fortunetellers – reading the grape leaves and sniffing the wind for signs from beyond the horizon. At no time is this more of an occupational hazard than in the weeks leading up to harvest, when our senses, sensibilities and nerves are at their most heightened (and sometimes their most frayed). In places like Sonoma, where we live and breath wine, it’s hard not to share opinions about the potential of a new vintage. And so, knowing full well that Mother Nature may mock my pre-harvest prognostications with her post-harvest realities, I offer you my thoughts on the season to date – and what we might expect in the days and weeks ahead.
The bad news
First, let me say that grape- growing and winemaking aren’t for the faint of heart. Even by our thick-skinned standards, the 2008 growing season has tested the resolve of many. From frosts, fires and generally drought-like conditions to an early-season rollercoaster ride of temperatures – and a late-season light-brown-apple-moth scare – it is clear that 2008 has offered an almost biblical array of challenges. And yet, in true “whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” fashion, some of these trials have ultimately resulted in conditions that are quite promising for fruit quality, though not quantity.
The good news
The frosts, the manic weather during bud break and the near-drought conditions have all contributed to reduced overall yields. While there are no hard figures as of yet, once the grapes come in, I expect to see crop levels down by an average of 10 to 15 percent. At our own Wildcat Mountain Vineyard on the windswept slopes of the Sonoma Coast, we are looking at syrah yields down by almost 50 percent from an average year. While such losses cause serious bottom-line pain for vintners and grape growers, they can have a profoundly positive affect on quality. With less fruit on the vines, the plants are able to focus all of their energy and nutrients on what remains, which often results in grapes – and in turn wines – with enhanced depth, power and complexity.
The challenges
If low yields are the silver lining, uneven ripening is the cloud. The unique conditions of the 2008 season have resulted in less than uniform fruit development. Simply put, as some grapes have plumped up, ripened and changed color, others on the same or nearby vines haven’t. To deal with this issue, we did green thinning relatively late in the season – particularly for merlot and pinot noir – cutting off the underdeveloped clusters to ensure overall evenness. We have also removed secondary crop outside the fruiting zones.
The outlook
In this time before harvest begins in earnest, we walk the vineyards every day, tasting and testing the grapes. Right now the acids are very high, and though the sugar levels (Brix) are also relatively high from three mid-season heat events, these numbers are deceptive, and the fruit still has a way to go before achieving true physiological ripeness – the kind that translates into rich, vibrant flavors. Since the last heat spike in early July, the weather has been almost perfect. Now is the time when science, experience, instinct and intuition converge as we search for that elusive moment to pick – that moment when the grapes achieve a harmony of elements. My sense is that if the weather holds, and we are patient, the fruit will come in with excellent acidity and intense flavors, which is just the way we like it.
Steve MacRostie is wine maker and founder of MacRostie Winery and Vineyards.
