Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/437909
134 Wines&Vines January 2015 vintage 2014 Pests/diseases: pest pressure was quite normal, and mildew con- trol was much more challenging this year due to early and rapid canopy growth. suPPly/demand: prices have been increasing slowly, and de- mand is at an even pace. a couple of varietals were hard to move, but all in all supply and demand were balanced. teChnology/teChniques: the focus on quality is increasing every year. Canopy management, irrigation practices, vine balance and macroBins vs. gondolas are making an impact. Challenges: Water and a con- sistent workforce are the chal- lenges at the forefront of all ag operations. Varieties: italian and spanish whites and reds are hot. these va- rieties have many of the compo- nents needed for our warmer climates. the future is bright. SAn JoAquin CounTy Lodi, River Junction, Tracy Hills Paul Verdegaal Farm advisor uC Cooperative extension yields returned to average. Fruit quality was very good; total acids and ph levels also very good for the warm season. harvest began 14 to 21 days early and then accelerated as mid-season and late varieties caught up with early varieties. a RiVeRSiDe CounTy Temecula Valley Ben Drake President Drake enterprises inc. 2014 was another great harvest in temecula. yields were in balance, and quality turned out to be very good. the harvest started about three weeks earlier than normal, which concerned winemakers as to the physiological ripeness of the grapes and forced some vari- eties to be harvested at above- average Brix levels. Winemakers were making decisions based more on flavor than numbers this season. Weather: the 2014 harvest was much earlier than normal due to the weather. Little rainfall and a winter that lasted about two weeks contributed heavily to the outcome of this year's harvest. Insulated Bins MonsterCombo ® Bins Winetainer™ Bulk Barrel™ Rack-Master™ 2 & 4 Barrel Wine Racks Patent 646,040 Patent 628,355 S Solutions in Wine Making www.bonarplastics.com • sales@bonarplastics.com • 800-768-6246 raNDy Caparoso, LoDiWiNe.Com Alison Colarossi, punching down 2014 zinfandel from the Stellina Vineyard (west side, Lodi's mokelumne River AVA), which she owns with Bob Co- larossi. The Colarossis are also partners in Downtown Lodi's estate Crush facility (with nick Sikeotis), where they are now provide custom winemaking services for more than 80 clients.