Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/51841
HARVEST REPORT winter injury and took a wet spring in stride before drying out in the summer. In fact, some vines faced drought stress, reported Tim Mar- tinson, senior viticulture extension associate at Cornell University, but it didn't last long. From veraison to harvest, measurable precipitation fell for more than 30 days. Rain was heavier in the Hudson Valley and less so to the west. Long Island narrowly escaped a direct hit from Irene. Despite the rain, it was warm. While grapes were denied sunlight, they were able to reach some lev- els of ripeness in flavors and tan- nin, even as acids and Brix were less than optimal. Diseases posed a problem, with widespread late-season downy mil- dew ending up even on grapes such as concord and niagara. Botrytis was also common. Canopy man- agement made a difference. Vines with smaller canopies and exposed fruit zones had an edge, being bet- ter able to dry out, Martinson said. Wineries ended up doing more sorting than usual. NEW JERSEY New Jersey growers were still glowing last winter from what may have been their best vintage ever: 2010. The 2011 winter was snowy, but not particularly cold, which pro- tected graft unions. The spring was late and wet, but quickly caught up to 2010 pace, with ample heat and increasing Brix in July and August. "We were thinking this was going to be another great year," Rutgers' Pavlis said. The birds were the first harbinger that the vintage was headed south. Then hail hit. Then near-daily rains. Growers saw explosions of downy mildew. Water diluted grape fla- vors and chemistry. Tight-clustered grapes such as pinot noir were par- ticularly hard-hit, with much lost to ripe rot. Growers who played their hands right may have gotten Brix in Bordeaux varieties to 19 or 20. Lots of dry blushes will be made, but lots of other wines will not. "In California, everything is great all the time," Pavlis said. "Here, growers have to deal with it, and they do." MICHIGAN Dr. Erwin "Duke" Elsner, the small-fruit extension educator for Michigan, called 2011 the "strang- est year." The season got off to a slow start, with low heat accumu- lation that delayed bloom for two weeks, raising concerns about rip- ening. Growers cut their crop loads in hopes of hastening ripening. All turned out for the best, however, with a dry, warm growing season, a beautiful second week of Octo- ber and no frost threat. Growers could wait comfortably for ripe- ness. "Everything was wonderful – great," Elsner said. Not so in southern Michigan, which experienced tremendous rains similar to the eastern states. America's Choice For Vineyards, Wineries & Orchards Since 1986 Vineyard Supplies No Vines... No Wines... Just Everything In Between! Wholesale Supplier for: Trellis Supplies • Training/Tying Supplies Wildlife Control Solutions Harvest Supplies And So Much More! www.orchardvalleysupply.com • 888-755-0098 WWW.VWM-ONLINE.COM Workers harvest nebbiolo at Virginia's Barboursville Vineyards on a foggy morning. Photo: Luca Paschina It wasn't the amount of rain, but rather its persistence, which pro- moted Botrytis. Southern parts of the state were able to harvest early varieties in advance of the rains. For most, the combination of over- cast skies, cool days and rains from late August through October sup- pressed photosynthesis and diluted grape chemistry. In northern Virginia, those with late-ripening reds were disappointed. Some tried increasing hang time. Wolf left grapes from the experi- JAN - FEB 2012 VINEYARD & WINERY MANAGEMENT 51 VIRGINIA The winter was benign for Virgin- ia vineyards, according to Dr. Tony K. Wolf, professor of viticulture at Virginia Tech. Spring rains coincided with bloom and probably hurt fruit set, he said. However, warmer- than-average weather and a dry growing season were welcome. Birds were waiting, and growers with nets had to put them on a month early. Remnants of Irene bat- tered the area east of Interstate 95, followed by Lee leftovers, which hit a broader part of the state.