Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/573907
72 WINES&VINES October 2015 WINE INDUSTRY NEWS WINE EAST G eneva, N.Y.—After two consecutive difficult win- ters, growers in the Finger Lakes were uncertain what the overall effects would be on the size and quality of the grape har- vest this fall. In early September, fruit matu- ration in the Finger Lakes was ahead of the 2014 season. "Cab- ernet Franc is up to 15° Brix," Dr. Tim Martinson, senior extension associate at Cornell University's Department of Horticulture, told Wines & Vines, "while last year at this time it was only at 11° Brix. In 2014, acids were at 20 grams; this year they're at 13.5. For Ries- ling, 11 vineyards averaged 14.7° Brix in 2015, compared with 9° Brix in 2014." While the numbers look better and harvest is earlier, the crop size this year for vinifera will be smaller because of the cumulative effects of two cold winters. "Frost pockets showed up this year, and we've seen a lot of bud and trunk injury," Martinson stated. "There won't be a barn-buster yield for this year, but the quality is great." Hans Walter-Peterson, viticulture extension specialist at Cornell Cooperative Extension, reported that Constellation Brands began har- vesting Aug. 31. "I'm hearing that vinifera yields will be down from normal because of the cold winter, but that is partly dependent on location and variety. The native and hybrid varieties are in good shape—not a huge crop, but a 'normal' crop," Peterson stated. Other regions in New York are reporting somewhat different conditions. Long Island is also looking at an earlier harvest than in 2014, and according to Martinson, it has experienced some drought conditions and "lots of sunlight." The Lake Erie Grape Belt—a region that extends along the lake from Erie, Pa. to Silver Creek, N.Y., south of Buffalo—experienced low tem- peratures in February of -19° F to -29° F, and consequently, there are no vinifera grapes to harvest in that region. Hybrid varieties there Wine East Covering Eastern North America 'Normal' Wine Harvest Anticipated in N.Y. Caption FINGER LAKES GRAPE PRICE SURVEY 2014 Average Price Per Ton 2015 Average Price Per Ton Percent Change Cabernet Franc $1,384 $1,408 1.7% Cabernet Sauvignon $1,622 $1,607 0.9% Catawba $341 $328 3.7% Cayuga White $552 $547 1.0% Chardonnay $1,267 $1,305 3.0% Gewürz traminer $1,536 $1,563 1.7% Niagara $318 $317 0.2% Pinot Noir $1,760 $1,767 0.4% Riesling $1,500 $1,545 3.0% Seyval $578 $610 5.6% Valvin Muscat $794 $880 10.8% Vidal Blanc $608 $632 3.9%