Here's what the local Santa Rosa, California newspaper had to say about this year's area harvest.....
"It's waiting time for first harvest in Sonoma County, California Wet spring means grapes for champagne need up to two weeks more to ripen
Cranberry wineRay and Dave, Earlier this year, i was interested in the cranberry wine experiment. There was much debate as to how much cranberry to use, and what to expect...
By TIM TESCONI THE PRESS DEMOCRAT Tuesday, August 15, 2006
A year ago winemaker Craig Roemer of Calistoga's Schramsberg Vineyards was up to his elbows pressing grapes for champagne.
But Roemer said it could be another 10 days to two weeks before he squeezes the season's first grapes. The wet spring got grapevines off to a late start in their growth cycle, leaving anxious winemakers and growers waiting to launch the 2006 crush.
"The harvest is a bit later than normal and it's slow going as we wait," Roemer said Monday. "But there's nothing we can do until the grapes reach the right sugars so it's the old hurry-up-and-wait game."
The North Coast grape crush started on Aug. 9 last year. Grapes used for sparkling wine traditionally start the harvest because they are picked at lower sugar levels than grapes used to make still wines like chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon.
Growers said the prolonged heat wave in July actually slowed the maturity in wine grapes. When temperatures reach 100 degrees and higher, the grapevines shut down and stop the sugar-making process in the fruit.
H2s odor still lingering 18buttuming for a minute that the problem is solely H2S, then Rick is likely faced with H2S that has already progressed to mercaptans or...
While waiting for the grapes to ripen, winemaker Roemer uses the time to clean and re-clean the winery, scrubbing and sanitizing floors, tanks and equipment. Sanitation is the winemaker's mantra.
"We turn over every stone in the winery to make sure everything is clean," he said. "Once the grapes start coming and it all breaks loose, we will be going every day through the end of October."
The weeks leading to harvest are what Sonoma Valley grape grower Ned Hills describes as the "calm before the storm." The major work is done in the vineyards and crews kick-back a bit while waiting for the harvest frenzy.
Hill said grapes are behind in maturity compared to last year. He said grapes that he tested on Monday only had 15.5 degrees sugar. The same week last year grapes from the same vineyard tested at 21.5.
"We're looking at a later harvest, which is OK as long as the weather holds and we don't get any early rain storms," said Hill.
Fermenting on oak chipsLeon Millot 16I second Joe's Two Buck Chuck comment, 'cept maybe when he got lucky with his 2002 Shiraz and a select few bottlings of his 2002 and 2003 Sauv Blanc...
Duff Bevill, a Healdsburg grape grower and vineyard manager, expects to harvest his first grapes for still wine, sauvignon blanc from the Dry Creek Valley, the first week of September. He predicts it will be a faster, more compact crush than last year's prolonged harvest, which was slowed by cool weather and the bumper crop hanging on the vines. Grapes were still being picked in November last year.
Bevill said this year's crop, depending on the varietal, is average to below-average in tonnage. He said the smaller load on the vines will provide more even, consistent ripening during the final stages of maturity.
Sebastopol grower Kirk Lokka, who grows grapes for Goldridge Pinot, said his grapes are 10 days behind last year in terms of maturity. He estimates he will be picking pinot for still wine by Sept. 15.
"The grapes must be getting ripe because the birds are starting to take notice," said Lokka. "We'll start putting up netting next week to keep them from eating the crop.
Gene
bobdrob
