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December 2015 WINES&VINES 17 WINE INDUSTRY NEWS Simplify and accelerate barrel cleaning without compromising cleaning effectiveness with the new TankJet M60 barrel cleaner. • It's mobile, so it is quick and easy to position right next to the barrel, insert into the bung hole, clean and move to the next barrel • Powerful, fast cleaning at low flow rates prevents toast removal – clean multiple barrels in minutes • Non-lubricated air motor ensures speed and cycle times are relatively constant even when liquid pressure changes • Compatible with a variety of pressure washers and pumps INTRODUCING THE TANKJET ® M60 MOBILE BARREL CLEANER: EASIER, FASTER & BETTER CLEANING FREE TRIAL OR ON-SITE DEMO CALL 1.800.95.SPRAY TO SPEAK WITH YOUR LOCAL REP OR VISIT TANKJET.COM TankJet M60 barrel cleaner – effective cleaning of barrels up to 5' (1.5 m) in dia. N apa, Calif.—Prominent wine industry accounting firm Moss-Adams on Nov. 11 hosted a post-harvest seminar at the Marriott Napa Valley featur- ing an industry expert who he made clear how short the 2015 California grape harvest was. Mark Couchman is executive vice president and CEO of West- chester Group Investment Man- agement. He oversees Silverado Investment Management Co. (for- merly Silverado Premium Proper- ties) and Plata Wine Partners, which produces bulk wine. The company owns more than 10,000 acres of vineyards in Napa and Sonoma counties, the Central Coast and the San Joaquin Valley of California, selling to more than 100 wineries. "2015 was a rude awakening," Couchman said. "Yields were down almost everywhere in the state." The company has 1,685 acres of vine- yards in Napa that produced in 2014 and 2015. Yields per acre were down 17% for Cabernet Sauvi- gnon, 44% for Pinot Noir and 46% for Sauvignon Blanc. He said that the drop wasn't due to the drought in Napa Valley, but to poor fruit set in the cool, w e t s p r i n g . " T h e vines on the valley floor did better than those on the hillsides." In Sonoma County, things were a bit better for Westchester's 1,963 acres of vines. Chardonnay was down 24%, and Pinot was down 25%. "It's tough to make money when you get down to 3 tons per acre," he told attendees. Monterey County, Calif., repre- sents a "very big part" of the com- pany's portfolio at 5,140 acres. "It was a cold, miserable year," Couchman laments. "Cabernet was down 86%. That represents a $2 million crop insurance pay- ment for us." Chardonnay fared relatively better at a 37% drop, but Pinot Noir was down 48%. Westchester/Silverado has 1,065 acres of vineyards in San Luis Obispo County, including Paso Robles, Calif. "It was miser- able," Couchman said. Cabernet was down 71%, and Merlot 30%. "It was a combination of the drought itself and long-term ac- cumulation of salts in the soil and water." Silverado is also big in Santa Barbara County with 2,595 acres. It's an important source of Pinot Noir, which was down 32%. Char- donnay was down 14% and Mer- lot 44%. The Delta/Lodi region (1,314 acres of vineyards) was down about 20% except Pinot, which was off 46%. The southern San Joaquin Val- ley was the the only region that held up well. Chardonnay was unchanged at 14 tons per acre, while French Colombard was up 7% and Rubired was down 3%. —Paul Franson Just How Short Was California's Grape Crop? Yields for Napa Valley Pinot Noir were down 44%, according to Westchester Group Investment. TONY ALBRIGHT, NAPA VALLEY VINTNERS