Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/437909
136 Wines&Vines January 2015 vintage 2014 Pests/diseases: powdery mildew was our biggest problem, even with the cool temperatures. suPPly/demand: Demand is strong for syrah, pinot Noir and grenache. teChnology/teChniques: We purchased a Clemens weed knife for under-row cultivation so we could be organic. Challenges: Labor shortages continue to push costs up. SieRRA neVADA FooTHiLLS el Dorado, Amador, Calaveras, Tuolumne counties Regional designations: Sierra Foothills, Fair Play, California Shenandoah Valley Lynn Wunderlich Farm advisor uC Cooperative extension excellent quality reported for most varieties. a record early bud break and compressed year resulted in a somewhat frenetic harvest. smaller berries and fewer bunches reduced yields. Looser clusters in grenache, petite sirah and Zinfandel made for fabulous flavors and deep dark colors with no rot. White wine grape variet- ies also were good except for some with spo- radic mildew. No issues with under ripening. Weather: some Cabernet sauvignon endured winterkill from a mid-December 2013 freeze. Bud break was two to three weeks early with an irregular start in shoot development and set. it was possibly the earliest harvest ever, beginning in mid-august. Pests/diseases: a slow start for mildew, but by mid-June some required cleanup. Western grape and VC leafhoppers were high by mid- summer. gill's mealybug appeared sporadically. suPPly/demand: yields were generally down 10%-20%; smaller berries noted. Zinfandel and Viognier demand a bit lower. prices steady to improved. teChnology/teChniques: Drought spurred interest in irrigation technology. Wildfire smoke impacted a few blocks; vineyard manag- ers used taint analysis to make harvest deci- sions with winemakers. Challenges: Drought, new wells, crop dropped. early harvest meant competing for labor with the san Joaquin Valley. Divergan F – PVPP West Coast: 81 M Street Fresno, CA 93721 Tel: 559.485.2692 Midwest: 1401 Ware Street Waupaca, WI 54981 Tel: 715.258.5525 The Wine Lab TM : 640-D Airpark Road Napa, CA 94558 Tel: 707.224.7903 East Coast: 1165 Globe Avenue Mountainside, NJ 07092 Tel: 908.301.1811 The Revolutionaries Behind Wine's Visionaries Malolactic Bacteria, Non-Saccharomyces Yeasts Fermentation Nutrients Membrane Cartridge Filters, Laboratory Consumables OenoFoss - FTIR Analytical Instrumentation Filter Sheets, Lenticular Cartridges, Cellulose Pre-Coat Fibers Cross Flow Filters, RO Systems Liquid and Granular Enological Enzymes Oak-Mor ® / Oak Avantage ® Chips and Granular Oak www.gusmerwine.com sales@gusmerenterprises.com CO 2 Analytical Instrumentation Wine Hose & Spray Nozzles At Gusmer, we know the wine you create is just as unique as you are. Portable Ozone Systems H 2 S Preventing Saccharomyces Yeasts Lysozyme For over 90 years, Gusmer has ofered a full range of innovative enological tools that enable your creative expression through unique and interesting wines. Equipment, analytical instruments and processing aids brought to you from leading suppliers in the wine industry, all backed by strong Gusmer technical support. The options for expression have never been greater and the tools have never been better – so go ahead, be unique, express yourself. For more information, contact Gusmer today.