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76 WINES&VINES January 2016 VINTAGE 2015 T hroughout most of the winegrowing regions of the United States and Canada, the 2015 harvest was often described with one word: early. Or two words: record early. From the southern regions of California to British Columbia, grapes ripened at least two weeks earlier than normal, and many re- gions recorded their earliest har- vests ever. In late 2015, Wines & Vines conducted its annual survey of the major grapegrowing regions of North America by contacting uni- versity extension agents, growers and others for unbiased, objective reports on the harvest conditions of each region. Those reports are reprinted in the following feature that also includes the results of a wider, general survey of hundreds of winemakers, growers and other professionals at wineries and vine- yards throughout North America. The general survey revealed that 52% of all respondents de- scribed the average quality of the vintage as "excellent," and 48% reported yields were just "some- what reduced," with 17% saying the harvest was average. Finding sufficient labor was a challenge for 34% of those taking the survey, while running out of tank space was a challenge for 21% of those surveyed. Grape prices appear steady or on the in- crease. Prices paid per ton stayed the same for 58% of respondents, while 36% said they increased, and 6% said they decreased. Several areas of California suf- fered reduced yields, which survey respondents attributed to a warm winter followed by a cold spring with scattered rain showers and strong winds that disrupted fruit set. This led to total losses in some vineyards of the Paso Robles AVA in the Central Coast and nearly 50% or more in parts of the North Coast. Pinot Noir appears to have been particularly hard hit by the unsettled weather. Rainstorms in December 2014 replenished irrigation ponds and wetted soils throughout California, but the precipitation provided just short-term relief and did little to mitigate the long-term effects of the four-year drought. For many growers in California's San Joaquin Valley, the only option for irrigation was groundwater, and they were out of luck if pumps went dry from falling water levels. Throughout California, the lack of rainfall has also resulted in salt accumulation in the soil, which contributed to lower than normal yields. Dry conditions resulted in one of the most destructive wildfire seasons in California. Glenn Mc- Gourty, University of California Co- operative Extension (UCCE) winegrowing and plant science ad- visor for Mendocino and Lake counties, said most wineries and vineyards in Lake County—scene of the destructive Valley Fire that burned more than 76,000 acres and killed four people—were spared any serious damage or smoke contamination. "Lake County had some scary moments due to all of the forest fires but somehow managed to dodge the smoke bullet as winds blew mostly to the east," he said. The warm winter that triggered an early bud break may also be the culprit behind an increase in the number of vineyards affected by Pierce's disease. (See "'Huge' Out- breaak of Pierce's Disease on page 20.) Oregon wine grape growers appear to have enjoyed back-to- back harvests of excellent quality and quantity. Oregon State Univer- sity viticulture extension specialist Patty Skinkis reported that the op- timum conditions at bloom led to good fruit set that may push the state's total tonnage past the re- cord year of 2014. "Harvest was dry and warm, resulting in opti- mum conditions for hang-time and picking conditions," she said. Experts in several of the other most prominent grapegrowing and winemaking states reported an- other year of vinifera losses be- cause of winter damage. In Ohio, near-perfect ripening conditions in the fall were of little use to growers who had lost up to 80% of their vinifera to cold damage. "Weather was as perfect this fall in Ohio as possible," said Ohio State Univer- sity viticulture outreach specialist Dave Scurlock. "The only problem is we would have liked to have more vinifera. We had warm days, cool nights and adequate water throughout the harvest season." The recurring cold damage has growers in many central states more interested in the latest gen- eration of hybrid cultivars that are sturdier and produce quality wines. Winter damage also was an issue in some parts of the East Coast—as was untimely rain that brought increased disease pres- sure. For many regions, however, dry conditions after véraison helped ensure growers could still harvest a crop. "We dried out from véraison through the end of Sep- tember, creating almost perfect harvest conditions," said Hans Walter-Peterson, Cornell Coopera- tive Extension viticulture specialist for New York's Finger Lakes. In Virginia, the rains followed ideal summer conditions, making for a stressful harvest. "Growers reported herculean efforts to pick grapes before and between the rains to maintain fruit quality," said Virgina Tech viticulture research and extension associate Tremain Hatch. "High to exceptional quality is reported for early and mid-sea- son varieties; late-season varieties were more variable in quality due to the rain." Wines & Vines appreciates the assistance of those who partici- pated in our surveys. If your region was not included and you'd like to contribute next year, contact us at edit@winesandvines.com. Grape must ferments at Frank Family Vineyards in St. Helena, Calif. Samples are processed in the laboratory at Miner Family Winery in Napa, Calif.