Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/279499
8 W i n e s & V i n e s A P R i L 2 0 1 4 W hen the week I am writing this began, rain had been in the forecast for five days, due to arrive where I live in Napa, Calif., on Monday morn- ing, March 10. This would have been great: another nice boost for irrigation ponds and watersheds. We'd already had two rain events in the previous month. A third might mean that the previously declared drought of 2014 was just a scare. On Sunday evening, right on cue, clouds moved in. The air felt heavy and cool. Surely rain was on its way. Maybe even snow. It smelled like that. At 6 a.m. Monday morning, I stepped outside as the wind picked up and I felt a few drops coming down. Then? Nothing. It stopped before it really started. Instead, a strong wind blew for two days, accompanied by a clear- ing trend. Other areas nearby did get some rain, but not nearly enough. Rain totals in North Coast areas of California now average only 35% of the typical rainfall for this time of year. This issue is basically Episode 3 of the West Coast Drought Watch. Again, we have good advice and up-to-date research to help affected vineyard owners and managers deal with a shortage of water for frost protection and irrigation. Viticulture during drought Particularly relevant is Glenn McGourty's Grounded Grapegrowing column (page 32) about "Vineyard Irrigation With a Limited Supply of Water." McGourty, who is the winegrowing advisor for Mendoci- no and Lake counties from the University of California Cooperative Extension, looks at water use for each growth stage of the vine. He splits the growing season into six stages, from early spring dormancy all the way to leaf fall, and discusses what steps a grow- er can take to conserve water in general while applying it as neces- sary during the various phases. He consulted five viticulturists in Australia who worked through that country's severe drought in 2006-07 and interpreted their experiences for use here. Fruit set to véraison requires 35% of total water use, and vérai- son to harvest requires another 36%, according to the Australian experience. Other stages need some water, too, but those just be- fore and after véraison are the critical ones, he writes. In the Practical Winery & Vineyard section, the article "Role of Soil Moisture at Bud Break" (page 56) by Hemant Gohil looks closely at spring sap flow and what it says about the vine's water needs. He reports on a study from Washington State University. Another article, beginning on page 59 in the PWV section, "Im- proving Management of Grape Powdery Mildew With New Tools and Knowledge," is possibly the biggest contribution to knowl- edge in this issue. The report by six researchers from four states covers nine pages and includes nine photos, graphs and illustra- tions. The article shows the value of trapping and mapping pow- dery mildew spores to better under- stand how the pest travels. Non-barrel oak products This is our ninth annual Oak Alter- natives Issue, in which we step back and look at the overall progress of oak products that are meant to be used with or without traditional bar- rels, as well as describe what's new and effective among these products. Inquiring Winemaker columnist Tim Patterson assesses the big pic- ture in his commentary piece (page 36) that asks the question: "Will Bar- rels go the Way of Floppy Disks?" Yes, he acknowledges that barrels have hundreds of years of tradition on their side, but this inquiring wine- maker wonders if they are worth the money and the trouble when barrel alternatives work just as well for the majority of wines. Associate editor Andrew Adams looked at what's new in form and function among the dozens of oak products (page 40). Readers who work in the cellar will especially welcome changes in the way oak ad- juncts are shaped and packaged to make the oak easier to measure and mix in with must or wine. A year of Practical information This issue also marks the first anniversary of the merger of Prac- tical Winery & Vineyard with Wines & Vines. The idea was to add the technical, often research-oriented viticulture and enology articles for which PWV has long been known, to the news, met- rics and regionally oriented how-to service articles that have been Wines & Vines' bread and butter. We think it's a good combination and value the addition of PWV editor Don Neel, who brings a generation of experience to our pages, as well as his stellar team of contributors from several continents. Final thought: As you read this Episode 3 of the Drought- Watch, I will repeat the advice from last month: Conserve Water, Drink Wine! E D I T O R ' S L E T T E R We have good advice and up-to-date research to help growers deal with a shortage of water. West Coast Drought Watch, Episode 3 More advice about managing water, plus: Are barrels obsolete?