Wines & Vines

136 WINES&VINES Collector's Edition VINTAGE 2018 corded in April. This resulted in high soil moisture levels being maintained throughout bud break and early shoot development. Warm temperatures and relatively dry conditions were experienced throughout bloom and the early fruit-development phase, with growing degree day accumulations being above average for this pe- riod. Temperatures remained above historical averages through veraison, and many areas received significant levels of rainfall during the early stages of fruit ripening. Weather conditions during matura- tion and harvest were challenging. While there were dry periods during the 2018 growing season, there were enough rain events to main- tain high disease pressures. Highly sensitive cultivars, such as Char- donnay and Riesling, required rou- tine fungicide treatments to maintain disease levels below eco- nomic thresholds. Powdery and downy mildew are the main types of fungal diseases in Ontario. Heavier pressure from grape berry moth and late-season leafhoppers was also observed. Low to moder- ate levels of botrytis were noted in susceptible cultivars. This was ag- gravated by heavy rains following veraison, along with elevated day- time and evening temperatures dur- ing ripening. Due to the level of fruit rots and berry shatter experienced in select vineyard blocks late in the season, some growers elected to mechanically harvest using onboard optical-sorting systems or to deliver and sort fruit using other optical- sorting systems at local wineries. While this reduced yields, it as- sisted in optimizing fruit quality by keeping clean grapes and eliminat- ing the diseased berries. Weather conditions during fruit rip- ening proved to be challenging for thin-skinned, tight-clustered culti- vars. Growers had to be diligent in making decisions to mitigate losses associated with fruit rots. The im- pact of red-blotch and leafroll virus continues to be apparent in select vineyard blocks. Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardon- nay are displaying the greatest lev- els of virus symptoms. Many growers have now integrated an insect vector management program at their vineyards, and a national initiative through the Canadian Grapevine Certification Network is underway to provide local nurseries "clean" propagation material. On average, there was a 1.4% in- crease in price per ton over 2017 pricing. It should be noted that this average was not consistent across all cultivars. Slightly reduced crop levels and minimum-wage in- creases drove this growth. Some- what reduced yields were anticipated in most growing regions following regional bud survival anal- ysis conducted in December 2017. An early cold event in late October 2017 resulted in some primary bud loss. However, at most locations, secondary buds compensated for this loss and produced a reason- able crop in 2018. PENNSYLVANIA Linda Jones McKee Wine East editor Wines & Vines Pennsylvania has three grapegrow- ing regions — Lake Erie, the moun- tains stretching from southwest to northeast, and the southeast — but this year all three regions had two common characteristics: later- than-usual bud break and too much rain for the entire growing season. Jamie Williams, president of the Winery at Wilcox in the northwest, reported that due to the rain "it's not an amazing vintage." Williams, who also has vineyards in the southeast, said they picked early, even though the grapes were not fully ripe. The yields were fairly good, but only three varieties were picked above 20° Brix. Michela Centinari, assistant profes- sor of viticulture at Pennsylvania State University, said growers across the state faced persistent rainfall. "Growers had to be on top of their fungicide spray schedule and can- opy management plans to minimize the risk of disease," she said. Grow- ers had difficulty getting tractors into the vineyards to spray, and people picking grapes sometimes had to pick in the rain. Hurricane Florence did not bring winds to the region but slowly moved across the state and added more rain to already water- logged vineyards. The Lake Erie re- gion had somewhat less rain but incurred some winter damage that affected yields. Persistent rains raised the disease pressure across the state, but growers who applied sprays ap- propriately did not see an increase in downy or powdery mildew. Many growers, however, did have to cope with sour rot and the ac- companying fruit flies. Growers spent more money on sprays and more time applying them, but even minor errors in application resulted in lower-than-usual-quality fruit. Some wineries saw spotted-wing drosophila for the first time, and vineyards in the quarantine area for spotted lanternfly in southeastern Pennsylvania had increased num- bers of that invasive pest. VIRGINIA Tremain Hatch Extension associate Virginia Tech Summer and fall were a challenging growing and harvest season for Vir- ginia grapegrowers. Frequent and heavy rain fell during the growing season and continued through har- vest. There was higher-than-aver- age rainfall across the season. Hurricanes Florence and Michael affected portions of the state during harvest in the fall, which led to high downy mildew pressure throughout the growing season. Growers also reported high incidence of grape berry moth injury to fruit. While the forecasts for rain were gloomy all season, they were ac- curate, for the most part. Growers utilized weather forecasts to help make decisions. Hurricane Flor- ence was forecast to affect a ma- jority of the state in mid-September; fortunately, the hurricane's course changed and the storm delivered less rainfall than initially called for across the state. With the high rainfall, many late-season varieties did have lower-than-normal soluble solids concentrations (Brix). Some wine- makers chose to utilize more red fruit for rosé-type wines than in an average year. In some cases, grape yields were depressed due to hail and poor fruit set. High rain- fall led to fruit rot in some cases, requiring some growers to field- sort a portion of their crop. Diligent growers worked hard and brought in clean grapes, which are predicted to make nice wines. Vidal Blanc grapes at the Cornell University teaching vineyard in Dresden, N.Y.

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