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4 2 V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T | J a n - F e b 2 017 w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m end of the first week of October, while in other areas of the Colum- bia Valley, it stretched out as late as early November, with growers taking advantage of cooler temper- atures to prolong hang time. This made it, for some, one of the lon- gest harvests on record. Despite the year's challeng- e s , w i n e m a k e r s o v e r a l l w e r e impressed with the quality of the fruit. "Huge amounts of hang time usually lead to fantastic structure, better acidity, great anthocyanins and great color. It all tends to lend itself to high quality," says Clubb, who notes the larger berry size as a potential caveat. "We're getting incredible color," says Small. "Right now, I'm opti- mistic about what I've tasted." All agreed 2016 would be a year to be remembered. "We'll be talk- ing about this one for a while," Waliser says. CALIFORNIA EAST BY DAVID FALCHEK Following a series of fierce win- ters that harmed the wine grape industries in several states east of the Rocky Mountains, the indus- try got a respite in 2016, enjoying excellent grape quality that set the table for an excellent vintage. States such as Michigan and Ohio saw yields bounce back from past winter kills and frosts the last two seasons. While welcome, warmer grow- ing seasons have cut down the diurnal temperature change. Some observers connect that to some isolated side effects, including color instability of reds, unusual acid decline/pH surge and emer- gence of the mysterious fungal dis- ease, Pestalotiopsis. CALIFORNIA NEW JERSEY New Jersey wrapped up the lat- est in a series of strong vintages. In the last six years, only 2011 is con- sidered a below average vintage in the Garden State. The summer was dry and not too hot, keeping disease pressure low, says Gary Pavlis, Ph.D., agricultural agent with Rutgers University. For him, that translated to very few calls about quality or crises. Grapes were as high as 23 °Brix for Syrah, while Chardonnay reached as high as 22 °Brix. Making wine from Syrah grown i n r e s e a r c h v i n e y a r d s , P a v l i s noticed that the ripe, clean fruit showed color instability, something reported from other states. CALIFORNIA PENNSYLVANIA Growers ended 2016 very happy, having skirted winter damage, late frost and drought, says Michela Centinari, Ph.D., assistant profes- sor of viticulture at Penn State Uni- versity. Pennsylvania has no reports of winter injuries despite a bitter February. The record-warm March caused some buds to push. When early April got cold, some growers fretted, but damage was minimal, Centinari says. Te m p e r a t u r e s c l i m b e d f o r m o s t o f t h e g r o w i n g s e a s o n . Drought conditions kept diseas- es at bay, but, by August, some growers were hoping for rain. By mid-August, the rains came and grapes didn't show typical signs of water stress, such as sugar accu- mulation or yield reduction. The southeast part of the state, how- ever, had more rain and vines were vigorous. The warm growing season gave rise to hopes for blockbuster Brix levels. While grapes ripened nicely, Brix went up slowly. "The warm evenings resulted in Brix going up slowly, acidity dropping quickly and pH going up," she says. In mid-September, rains con- nected when Hurricane Matthew came, and some growers harvest- ed tight-clustered whites such as Riesling off the vines. Those that soldiered through the rains may have had some rot. "While growers didn't get the sugar accumulation we thought they would, they were happy over- all, with nice yields and clean fruit," says Centinari. CALIFORNIA WISCONSIN Ryan Prellwitz, owner of Vine & Rushes Winery in Ripon, and for- mer president of the state's grow- ers association, says 2016 was rough on the state's growers. The west side of the state was hit with some early frost that froze buds of early breaking vines such as Marquette and other Minnesota varieties. Later-budding varieties, such as Petite Pearl, Frontenac and St. Pepin, were spared. Wisconsin had enough heat in the growing season, but consider- able rain, enough to cause flash flooding in some areas. Late rains before harvest increased disease pressure of downy and powdery mildew, black rot and anthracnose. "This won't be remembered as a great year," says Prellwitz. Harvest at Woodward Canyon in Lowden saw large yields and great color.