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138 Wines&Vines January 2015 vintage 2014 SonomA CounTy Rhonda J. Smith Farm advisor – viticulture uC Cooperative extension an "early year" was redefined in 2014, and phenological events oc- curred prior to 2013, which was thought to be early. the season was condensed with bud break and bloom starting two weeks before normal due to a relatively warm and record-breaking dry winter. Fruit ripened under ideal conditions— consistent warm temperatures, vir- tually no heat spikes or wet weather —producing excellent fruit quality. most growers harvested well ahead of normal with greater than average yields that were not expected given the two previous large crops. Weather: a deep marine layer in august slowed the pace of ripen- ing and, for some, readjusted har- vest dates closer to normal. rain events in mid-october brought a trace to 0.25 inches of precipita- GrapeParts4Less.com Paying Too Much For Picking Rods? Now You Have A Low Cost Source! GrapeParts4Less.com supplies quality American made picking rods, closures, and parts for all major grape harvester brands. Call 559-277-7382 or visit our website. Mastercard or VISA accepted. GrapeParts4Less.com Your Low Cost Source For Quality Harvester Parts Se habla Espaňol. GP4L_W&V_April_2012.indd 1 2/27/12 11:59 AM tion, but it didn't affect the majority of growers. Pests/diseases: powdery mil- dew disease was unusually severe due in part to higher relative hu- midity. the best fungicide pro- grams were challenged to prevent disease. suPPly/demand: Cabernet sauvignon pricing remained strong, but prices for all other vari- etals softened as more tons came in than were predicted. overages were common. teChnology/teChniques: Limited access to water and labor is affecting farming practices. some growers had to apply less water than normal, and a few trucked in reclaimed water from cities that offered it. Challenges: Water curtailments on the upper russian river and wells with reduced capacity in all regions directed attention to regu- lations restricting water storage northWest BRiTiSH CoLumBiA Richard Cleave owner/manager Phantom Creek Vineyard overall tonnages were up 20% to 25%, and quality was high. Weather: Weather was excellent with a longer than normal growing season. Degree-days reached the highest numbers since 1998. Pests/diseases: No unusual pest or disease problems. suPPly/demand: there was downward pressure on prices for non-contracted grapes, particularly merlot and pinot gris, due to overproduction. Challenges: tank space was a huge problem, as usual. Varieties: Cabernet sauvignon was particularly good this year. iDAHo moya Dolsby executive director idaho Wine Commission Quality was reported to be excep- tional, even with a larger than aver- age crop. Pests/diseases: minimal pest pressures were lower than average. suPPly/demand: stable prices. Demand higher. above-average yields. Challenges: harvest was de- layed a bit due to tank space shortages from the larger crop. Varieties: it was an ideal season for all varietals. this report can be found in the digital edition of Wines & Vines available at winesandvines.com/digitaledition.