2010 Harvest Thread

[john holdredge]

Ok, ok, I'm a bit ahead of the game. Hell, nobody has even picked for bubbles, and that usually starts before the end of July. But despite the cool weather, there will be a harvest, and it will be upon us sooner than we might expect. That "two months out" can turn into "tomorrow" faster than a lawyer diving for a dropped nickel.

So, we wait, we clean (place looks as good as it ever has IMHO- the decision to move half the tanks to the other side of the winery at ten at night after drinking beers with Erik "Colonel" Klepper was brilliant in hindsight), we drink beer (dropped Racer 5 and I'm going through a "Red Rocket" phase- just a phase-like the beatles had their Ravi Shankar phase, except Jesus is way more famous than me).

The interns check in Sept 1. I had thought with the cool year that would be plenty late, but even that might be early. This year's interns are interesting- we have a right wing wine blogger from Georgia, and a left wing radical feminist Pinot enthusiast from NYC. If the grapes are really delayed, I might just install a cage and let 'em wrastle it out. Rage in the cage. Good fun. I wonder if I tell them that scrubbing the floor with toothbrushes is part of the business if they'll believe it?

And maybe this will be the year I finally brew some beer. Lord knows I have a hankering to ferment. And beer is the only true friend I've ever had (there's a country song in that).

And really, at the core of it all, I just wanted to kick off the harvest thread. Which I have. Even though I am copmpletely sober- which really takes the fun out of posting. So now, we hunker down and wait.

[jcfones]

No fruit in sight but I've got two batches of beer working here at the winery. The lager is being a little finicky though. At this rate, the beer will be long gone before harvest begins so I'll probably have to make some more!

By the way, I remember when The Underwood switched from Racer 5 to Red Rocket Ale - BIG mistake. Racer 5 and Lagunitas IPA - best beers going IMHO.

[Ray Walker]

Good to see you posting John! I remember that switch at The Underwood.

Where are you sourcing for this year for your wines?

We've seen the start of véraison just now in Gevrey-Chambertin, waiting patiently in Morey Saint Denis. Looks to be just a week or so later than previously expected, putting us at September 20-25th in the Côte de Nuits.

[E r i k Klepper]

The interns check in Sept 1. I had thought with the cool year that would be plenty late, but even that might be early. This year's interns are interesting- we have a right wing wine blogger from Georgia, and a left wing radical feminist Pinot enthusiast from NYC. If the grapes are really delayed, I might just install a cage and let 'em wrastle it out. Rage in the cage.

If we'd been thinking - which we rarely do - we would have kept that fencing and repurposed it for the cage.

[john holdredge]

The interns check in Sept 1. I had thought with the cool year that would be plenty late, but even that might be early. This year's interns are interesting- we have a right wing wine blogger from Georgia, and a left wing radical feminist Pinot enthusiast from NYC. If the grapes are really delayed, I might just install a cage and let 'em wrastle it out. Rage in the cage.

If we'd been thinking - which we rarely do - we would have kept that fencing and repurposed it for the cage.

I was thinking I could throw a piece of fence over an open top tank- "Wrestling in the Round".

[E r i k Klepper]

The interns check in Sept 1. I had thought with the cool year that would be plenty late, but even that might be early. This year's interns are interesting- we have a right wing wine blogger from Georgia, and a left wing radical feminist Pinot enthusiast from NYC. If the grapes are really delayed, I might just install a cage and let 'em wrastle it out. Rage in the cage.

If we'd been thinking - which we rarely do - we would have kept that fencing and repurposed it for the cage.

I was thinking I could throw a piece of fence over an open top tank- "Wrestling in the Round".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmRAiUPdRjk

Get Mick to do the chanting for that authentic twang.

[Paul Luckin]

No fruit in sight but I've got two batches of beer working here at the winery. The lager is being a little finicky though. At this rate, the beer will be long gone before harvest begins so I'll probably have to make some more!

By the way, I remember when The Underwood switched from Racer 5 to Red Rocket Ale - BIG mistake. Racer 5 and Lagunitas IPA - best beers going IMHO.

what? no love for the Pliny??

make sure you have some of your beer ready and waiting after the bottling this month, i want to give it a try!

[Paul Luckin]

The interns check in Sept 1. I had thought with the cool year that would be plenty late, but even that might be early. This year's interns are interesting- we have a right wing wine blogger from Georgia, and a left wing radical feminist Pinot enthusiast from NYC. If the grapes are really delayed, I might just install a cage and let 'em wrastle it out. Rage in the cage.

If we'd been thinking - which we rarely do - we would have kept that fencing and repurposed it for the cage.

I was thinking I could throw a piece of fence over an open top tank- "Wrestling in the Round".

how about throwing bungs from five paces. first one to cry loses.

[jcfones]

Ray - Yeah, I don't post much. I see you have been active! We're getting fruit from all over this year - should be an exciting year.

Paul - The "Pliny" knocks me on me arse. I'll make sure some homebrew will be ready for you!

[John Cabot]

Is this year reminding anyone of 05???? Similar late season and cooler than normal temps for you guys down south.

[Ray Walker]

Ray - Yeah, I don't post much. I see you have been active! We're getting fruit from all over this year - should be an exciting year.

Paul - The "Pliny" knocks me on me arse. I'll make sure some homebrew will be ready for you!

Very cool. Pinot and Zin? How did the 07 and 08 turn out? I've been a little busy. Large in part motivated by you and Eric getting after it. Tell him I say hello. Still brings a smile to my face thinking about some of the jokes he has said years ago.

I wish you guys continued success.

[Bob Wood]

Saw some chardonnay clusters yesterday. The berries aren't even full size yet. The good news is that, from what I saw, the clusters will be loose and rain won't be as big a problem as it might be. I think we're looking at mid-to-late October for harvest.

[Eric Lundblad]

Is this year reminding anyone of 05???? Similar late season and cooler than normal temps for you guys down south.

A bit similar, but this year is a fair bit colder than 05. This year seems more similar to 98/99 or the early 90s. Otoh, 04 was pretty cool coming into August. As usual, the next 8+ weeks will determine everything. If we get some warmth without any heat waves then it should be a terrific pinot vintage.

[Lance Smith]

Looks like an initial 'Fall' pattern is to set in 7-10 days out. Don't confuse the term 'initial' with what we actually see in fall but this is a good sign for those you looking for warming temperatures where we gradually build a warmer pattern in.

It seems that we should see some of the 90-95 degree days in the warmest areas around the bay area region during this period. Nothing overly hot (100+), but expect some continued warming starting in 5-7 days and remaining persistent for a week to 10 days following. Not enough current data to make an educated guess further out then that.

[Paul Romero]

Lance,

My long range for San Jose (16 days) doesn't show any days over 82. Where's your data coming from?

We're calling it game over for Cabernet at our Woodside Vineyard. Chardonnay is not in veraison yet, and it was fogged in all day yesterday. My best projection on picking Cabernet right now would be November 23rd. I can't justify the cost to drop fruit and net with a less than 10% chance we'll pick fruit at all.

[Lance Smith]

Paul,

A combination of a lot of things:
NOAA forecasts for the PNW and local areas, water temperature disbursement near the equator and in the Gulf of Alaska, the corresponding jetstream positioned both over the PNW and the north part of the state. Additionally, wind fetch gradient generated off Cape Mendocino down to Santa Barbara area, the potential movement or causes for breakdown of low/high pressure gradient that sets up this time of year between our region and the deserts of California.

The biggest factors are really those low/high pressure systems and the relative positioning as that is what has pushed the fog layer inland more this year compared to years past. We've had deeper saturation of the marine layer and less 'rollback' to the coastal areas during the day due to the stronger gradients. This is why you have fog in San Jose this time of year when you rarely do.

In any event, I surf....therefore I am! I don't pick grapes nor do I smash them. However, we seem to look at the same weather patterns with similar vigor. Yet, our reasons for doing so are drastically different. That is unless you like to drink a nice Santa Cruz Mts Pinot right after a surf session!

- Lance

[Paul Romero]

I'm too old and cranky to get my bones in the cold water anymore. My surfing is pretty much limited to renting a boogie board when I go to Hawaii or Mexico and the water is more than 5 degrees warmer than 'hypothermic'.

My best case projection for Woodside was figuring color started today. I need 80-90 days minimum to get to 22-23 and get the bell pepper out. Warming in 2-3 weeks is probably too late for me to do any good.

We usually have fog in San Jose in August, just not this cold or holding on too 9:30. Usually it's gone by 8 and night time temps are in the 60's not 50's.

[Jim Cowan]

Verasion starting on pinot in Bennett Valley.
Nothing yet on syrah.
Best, Jim

[Jim Riddle]

John, if I could coax you into a visit, you'd see that your fruit has been loving the mild temps and is now embracing veraison with glee. Then again, assuming those interns are both female and cute, feel free to send them out for a "look see" in your stead . . .

[Eric Lundblad]

The NOAA 6-14 day temperature maps (http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/forecasts/) are changing on a daily basis, from warmer than normal to colder than normal and back again. So I'm not sure we know much of anything about what's going to happen.

Paul: really sorry to hear about your cab. Are Ridge and Mt Eden likely to suffer a similar fate as well?

[Paul Romero]

I hate to talk for my neighbors.

Therese thinks they will be ok at Martin Ranch. Last year we pulled from them on November 7th, so if Therese thinks we'll make it, I'll believe her and know she realistic about late harvest dates. They still owed me two tons after the 7th last year, but the pH's were raising so fast she asked me not to take it, so I didn't. She's going to get me a note this week.

Mount Eden and Ridge are warmer than my Woodside location and warmer than Martin Ranch most years. They may be ok. Yesterday afternoon I was fogged in and they both had sunshine. As foggy as it's been, I bet Ian has Pinot Noir and Syrah from the west side for me AFTER I have Cabernet from my Morgan Hill site.

[Jim Riddle]

The NOAA 6-14 day temperature maps (http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/forecasts/) are changing on a daily basis, from warmer than normal to colder than normal and back again. So I'm not sure we know much of anything about what's going to happen.

The forecast discussion I regularly rely upon seems to get it right a vast majority of the time. For the North Coast, here is what they're saying:

LITTLE CHANGE IS EXPECTED TONIGHT WITH THE UPPER TROUGH ENTRENCHED. OVER THE DISTRICT. HAVE ADDED DRIZZLE TO THE OCEAN AND COAST...WITH THE DEEP MARINE LAYER. UPPER TROUGH REMAINS ALONG THE COAST THOUGH MID WEEK WITH A DEEP MARINE LAYER AND EXTENSIVE NIGHT/MORNING LOW CLOUDS AND FOG. TEMPS WILL CONTINUE TO REMAIN BELOW NORMAL.

MEDIUM RANGE MODELS DIVERGE BY THE END OF THE WEEK WITH THE ECMWF BUILDING A RIDGE OVER THE PACIFIC NW...AND THEN CONTINUING WITH A RIDGE ALONG THE WEST COAST ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. THE GFS KEEPS A
WEAK TROUGH ALONG THE COAST DURING THIS PERIOD. THE GFS WOULD BE THE COOLER MODEL. BOTH THE ECMWF AND THE GFS BOTH BRING RIDGING TO THE DISTRICT ON MONDAY FOR WARMER TEMPS. HOWEVER...ANY SIGNIFICANT
WARMING WILL BE SHORT-LIVED AS BOTH MODELS BRING A LONGWAVE TROUGH ONCE AGAIN TO THE WEST COAST...WITH THE GFS THE MORE AGGRESSIVE OF
THE MODELS. REGARDLESS OF WHICH MODEL VERIFIES...IT WILL TURN COOLER ONCE AGAIN ACROSS THE DISTRICT BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK.

In short, a brief modest warm up, depending where you are, and then back to same all, same all . . .

[Paul Romero]

That's what I've been looking at too that has me calling game over. Two-three more weeks of this and I'm looking at finishing varaison around Sept 1st at the soonest.

[Jim Riddle]

That's what I've been looking at too that has me calling game over. Two-three more weeks of this and I'm looking at finishing varaison around Sept 1st at the soonest.

Ever the optimist, I note that our guy is only going with the status quo through late next week. Until he says otherwise, let's believe that the first significant North Coast warming trend of the season starts the weekend of 8/21!!!!

[Paul Romero]

Think I'll open up another thread for my work around plan :)

[Nola Palomar]

We will start bringing in the Chardonnay within the next 3 days. We're about a week to 2 behind, but all looks great so far.

[Ray Walker]

Can we get some photos on this thread?

July 13th Le Chambertin (Bourgogne, France)


July 13th Charmes-Chambertin (Bourgogne, France)


Le Chambertin July 23rd (Bourgogne, France)


Morey Saint Denis 1er Cru 'Les Chaffots' July 23rd (Bourgogne, France)

[Steve Snyder]

Tom Wark has this to say this the impending doom in Napa valley... http://fermentation.typepad.com/ferment ... untry.html

[Jim Riddle]

Can we get some photos on this thread?

Apologize for being lame, but is the procedure for uploading a photo explained here somewhere?

[Ray Walker]

Can we get some photos on this thread?

Apologize for being lame, but is the procedure for uploading a photo explained here somewhere?

Not lame at all:

Get a photobucket.com account.
Upload photos
You will see on the bottom left side of the specific page with the photo you wish to upload has links. Pick the image link, copy.
Paste in this thread.
Done

[N Weis]

Tom Wark has this to say this the impending doom in Napa valley... http://fermentation.typepad.com/ferment ... untry.html

About the only people who don't seem to think there is impending doom are the people who make wine.

Guess we've learned that you can't worry about it 'cause you can't control it. I'm not losing any sleep currently (except for one of my two-year olds who can't seem to make it through a full night recently).

I'm also passively involved in cherry farming in the Central Valley. We had a great, make that fantastic, season on our hands until Mother's Day, when a hail storm about a mile long and 5 miles wide came through and decimated the orchards in just our neighborhood. What're you going to do? Such is life in agriculture.

We're a long way from that sort of devastation here. Late is just late. Good news is that I should be able to catch some early-season college and pro football live for the first time in many years!!

[Linda Baehr]

One of our barrel salesman just said that he knows of some growers in the foggiest part of the Santa Cruz Mtns that are giving up on their Cab this year.

[John Cabot]

Just saw the first pink berries in Syrah yesterday, while doing my final mowing for the year. Funny thing is, it was the most loaded, vigorous plant in the vineyard(plant at the end of the row). That brings us up to 10 days behind- which puts harvest for both vineyards in the first week of Oct.

We are looking at high 90's through the next 7 days.

Another year of no fires seems like such a luxury after 06 and 08.(insert knocking on wood emoticon)

[Paul Romero]

Nate - Me too. Especially looking forward to 49ers and Saints on Monday night Football. We've got a party planned. It will also mean my birthday trip to Nola should work out fine.

Linda - I shared that with Ron C. late last week and stopped moving forward on an order with him since it looks like I'll be over on barrels. Could have been me he was talking about.

[Linda Baehr]

Nate - Me too. Especially looking forward to 49ers and Saints on Monday night Football. We've got a party planned. It will also mean my birthday trip to Nola should work out fine.

Linda - I shared that with Ron C. late last week and stopped moving forward on an order with him since it looks like I'll be over on barrels. Could have been me he was talking about.

Ah, yes, it was Ron.