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w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m J a n - F e b 2 017 | V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T 4 3 CALIFORNIA MICHIGAN G r o w e r s i n M i c h i g a n g o t a much-needed respite from a series of devastating winters. After winter damage from 2014 and 2015, grow- ers were in the process of rebuild- ing their vines. While they weren't expecting much from the 2016 har- vest, they ended with a good-sized crop of healthy grapes, says Paolo Sabbatini, Ph.D., associate profes- sor of viticulture for Michigan State University. "The vines came back after two very terrible winters," he says. "Vineyards look irregular, but the grapes hit their numbers." There were pitfalls for growers. Rain during veraison caused rot for vineyards with unmanaged cano- pies that didn't promote airflow and expose the clusters. Growers who relied on vigorous bull canes to retrain their vines ended up with cases of crown gall. "This wasn't an above-average harvest, but it was better in size and quality than anyone expected," says Sabattini. CALIFORNIA VIRGINIA March was one of the warmest on record, which pushed grapes to bud very early in Virginia following a benign winter, but exposing some Southern Piedmont vineyards to early April frost injury, says Tony Wolf, Ph.D., professor of viticulture at Virginia Tech, cutting yields of Chardonnay and Viognier there by 20% to 25% of potential. That made some prepare for a down yield overall, but great con- ditions increased yields for every- thing else and most diversified growers ended up with a sizeable crop, says Wolf. While June was wet, the bal- ance of the season was dry with average pest pressure. Tropical storm Matthew held a low pres- sure system over Virginia for sev- eral days in the end of September, but the season was so early that much of the grapes were already harvested. Fruit quality was "very good," says Wolf. Unusually high night- time temperatures — and high absolute temperatures combined with some water stress — affected color in reds. CALIFORNIA MISSOURI Growing seasons in Missouri are very hot. But June 2016 was among the hottest, with most of the state experiencing 10 to 20 days of temperatures above 90, says Dean Volenberg, director of the Grape and Wine Institute at the University of Missouri. The growing season was nor- mal and uneventful until then. July brought more than 10 inches of rain, which was needed, but not to that degree. Rains continued through August, delivering six more inches. The late-season rains chal- lenged disease management prac- tices and made harvest of early ripening varieties difficult. The rush to beat the rot means whites were picked at lower Brix, with Vignoles susceptible to sour rot. Pestalotiopsis, a fungal disease that can manifest itself in several forms, emerged as a leaf blight. Last harvest, it emerged as a fruit rot in Norton and Traminette. The mecha- nism of the disease is the subject of research for Volkenberg's team. After Labor Day, weather was warm and dry, and Missouri reds should be of very good quality, says Volkenberg. CALIFORNIA NEW YORK The temperature drop came on Valentine's Day, but fell short of a massacre. Winter was mild in the Finger Lakes region until then. Temperatures fell into the negative single digits, but, in some pockets on the west side of Seneca and Cauyga lakes, they fell to -13 or -14 F. Chardonnay proved vulnerable in this stress test while Cabernet Franc and Riesling showed resil- ience, says Hans Walter-Peterson, viticulture extension specialist with Cornell University. The event was an argument for wind machines and, he says, more are planned. A fairly snowless winter set the stage for a drier spring. Cool weath- er staved off premature bud break. Then came the drought, less than an inch of rain fell in either June or July, compared to an average of 3.5 inches per month. It got worse. Growers hand-watered new vines. By October, less than half of the typical growing season rain fell, tak- ing a toll on young vines and vines on shallow soils. The growing season was the second-warmest on record (the warmest being 2010). The dry con- ditions meant moisture-related diseases were almost nonexistent and there was little need for hedg- ing. While berry size was smaller, Walter-Peterson says yields ended up being average and vintners are thrilled with the quality of reds. "Warm plus dry equal a red year," he says. "People are expecting great things from Cabernet Franc, Lemberger and Pinot Noir." Whites showed lower acids than normal, however. Long Island didn't have water stress problems and enjoyed a warm season, setting the stage for an exceptional vintage. Cyndee Nelson is a freelance writer based in Sonoma County. You can reach her at cyndee@ cyndeenelson.com. Sean P. Sullivan is a contribut- ing editor for Wine Enthusiast and is also the founder of Washington Wine Report, an online publication dedicat- ed to the wines and wineries of the Pacific Northwest. Sullivan also writes regularly for Seattle Metropolitan, Washington Tasting Room, and Edible Seattle. He lives in Seattle, Wash. David Falchek is a regular con- tributor to trade publications such as Vineyard & Winery Manage- ment and Beverage Media. He also writes a regular consumer wine column for The Scranton Times- Tribune, in Scranton, Pa. Comments? Please e-mail us at feedback@vwmmedia.com. Harvest 2016