Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/591609
November 2015 WINES&VINES 17 WINE INDUSTRY NEWS back our frost season by a few weeks), like in our Charles Vineyard in Boonville. This allowed bud break to be closer to average in mid- March. However, between the low crop load and warm summer, the season sped along, and we ended up starting our harvest Aug. 15. The last blocks of estate Pinot Noir came in the first week in September for Foursight. Quality is excellent; quantity is very low. There will cer- tainly be a scarcity of Anderson Val- ley Pinot Noir from 2015." It was an early harvest for Or- egon, as in California. "Most of our wineries are reporting that the size was comparable to last year, which was a record for us with a 39% gain over 2013," said Michelle Kaufmann, communications man- ager for the Oregon Wine Board. "However, a few regions had frost damage and are reporting lower yields. Because of that, we are un- able to estimate if 2015 will be on par with 2014, higher or lower." Official tonnage numbers for Washington state won't be re- leased until January or February, but preliminary estimates suggest this year's harvest is indeed smaller than 2014, said Michaela Baltasar, spokesperson for Wash- ington State Wine. "Many growers are talking about smaller berry size, and though this will mean lighter tonnage, it also indicates intense, flavorful fruit. Wine- makers are very excited about the quality of the 2015 vintage." In the Walla Walla Valley of Washington, Heather Bradshaw of the Walla Walla Wine Alliance re- ports that tonnage will probably be a little down due to an early freeze, but the grapes look good. Glenn Proctor of Ciatti and Co. noted that the shortage would af- fect the inventory on the bulk market—especially in the coastal areas. "We have already seen the overall bulk inventory available for purchase that Ciatti lists start to decline over the past month as various wineries that had excess inventory for sale have pulled it off the market and are now using it themselves." He added, "Also, we have seen an uptick in overall bulk activity and specific activity around Pinot Noir, Cab Sauv and Sauvignon Blanc for the 2014 vintages." Proctor continued, "It's not yet clear how it will it affect the price of grapes. "We had three large vintages, so overall we still are in a more balanced position on sup- ply in general. I think in general it will help to stabilize the market and potentially tighten some va- rieties, but it is early." Proctor also noted that people have been ripping out vineyards in the Central Valley at the rate of 20,000-plus tons per year of wine and raisin grapes, but new acres of wine grapes were planted in the Central Valley just three to four years ago. "They are now coming into production—likely with higher yields than the vines they are replacing—and the everyday value wine category (below $10) has been flat over the past two to three years. So the supply is most likely in line with the expected demand." Fredricks concurred, "Yields are higher than they once were due to changes in varieties, root- stocks, trellising and management. And winemakers are flexible about yields per acre, particularly in short years. 2015 will balance the past few years, but there's less Cab than planned, particularly under $10." —Paul Franson For more inFormation, call atP services at (707) 331-2170 or email us at: services@americantartaric.com ...before settling down for your long winter's nap... ATP suggests that winemakers conduct preventive equipment maintenance prior to storage. This includes: 1. A detailed cleaning of your equipment. 2. Inspecting, identifying and replacing damaged or worn parts. 3. Conducting a "close~out, close~down equipment run." 4. Covering and /or sealing all equipment as necessary to keep out debris and miscellaneous materials. 5. Performing all necessary oil changes and greasing chores. 6. Creating a photographed "condition" fle of each piece. However, we don't recommend draining equipment completely. Doing so can actually harm the "heart" of your equipment by allowing oxygen to enter the various components, from metal to rubber. (These components, when exposed to air, can become quite brittle and crack.) We recommend you do these things to insure that your equipment, come Spring, won't awake with a clatter. " We have seen an uptick of overall bulk activity and specific activity around Pinot Noir, Cab Sauv and Sauvignon Blanc for the 2014 vintages." —Glenn Proctor, Ciatti and Co.