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124 Wines&Vines January 2015 T he annual Wines & Vines survey of the wine grape growing regions of North America revealed a 2014 vintage that can be summed up by two extremes. On the West Coast, California endured another year of severe drought to produce its third strong harvest in a row, while the Pacific Northwest enjoyed a marvelous growing season with Oregon in particular experiencing what could be the state's best vintage on record. In much of the Midwest and East, however, the story was quite different. The brutally cold weather from the "polar vortex" during the winter of 2013-14 devastated many vinifera vineyards. Some growers on Michigan's Old Mission and Leelanau peninsulas lost their entire crops or only brought in 30% of average, and some hybrid vine- yards only produced half of a nor- mal crop. Despite the cold, some regions were able to recover. Growers in Ontario, for example, harvested about 52,000 tons, which is 80% of the five-year average and much better than expected. The same was true in the Finger Lakes re- gion of New York, where tempera- tures fell to their lowest levels in 10 years but bud mortality turned out to be less than expected and growers managed to salvage a de- cent crop. vintage 2014 Points covered the survey consisted of the following questions. some participants did not answer all the questions. Please summarize the quality and quantity of the overall 2014 harvest crop in your area. Weather: Characterize the growing season weather, with emphasis on unusually good or bad weather around harvest. Pests/disease: Describe any unusual or significant pest or disease pressure. suPPly/demand: Note changes in grape prices, demand, unusually high or low yields. teChnology/teChniques: Describe any significant use of new technologies, techniques and/or equipment that seriously impacted or improved harvest this year. Challenges: Note logistical challenges such as: water shortages, tank space, labor availability, quarantines. Varieties: address specific challenges or successes of major varietals/types. 2014 Vintage Survey © BoB mcCLeNahaN