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94 WINES&VINES January 2016 VINTAGE 2015 Rains during and after bloom helped black rot, downy mildew and early botrytis infections to es- tablish if growers were not on top of spray schedules. Dry weather after véraison made for almost ideal harvest conditions through September. Rots started to flare up when the rains returned in October. Low yields of most vinifera variet- ies across the region, thanks mostly to winter injury, meant many wineries were not able to purchase as many grapes as they wanted to, even from other parts of New York. A few hybrid varieties like Cayuga White and Vidal were short as well. Deep snow brought pruning to a standstill in part of January and most of February. Many growers got behind schedule in the spring thanks to a shortage of pruning and tying labor. Hand-harvesting was also challenging with fewer workers. Growers are getting more interested in H-2A to secure future workers NEW YORK — LONG ISLAND Alice Wise Senior resource coordinator Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County Long Island experienced a cold, snowy winter not typical for this re- gion. After bud break in early May, it was soon apparent that bud dam- age occurred in low-lying sections. Low areas on Long Island usually translate to less than 10 feet differ- ence in elevation. New trunks had to be trained up for some of these vines. 2015 will be remembered for the lack of rainfall from April through October. With warm tem- peratures and dry conditions, grow- ers drip irrigated into September. Disease pressure was low to mod- erate as a result of the dry weather. In early August, a sudden, severe thunderstorm produced a brief spate of hail. Fruit was just begin- ning véraison. Fine mesh side nets, already in place for early varieties such as Pinot Noir, protected fruit. On vines without nets, berries were bruised and sometimes split, pri- marily on the west side of the trel- lis. Fortunately, the hail was confined to a handful of properties. There was an unprecedented early start to harvest with fruit for spar- kling wine coming off in late Au- gust. Harvest of many white varieties followed immediately. Fruit was ripe and flavorful with minor Botrytis infections that were easily sorted. Temperatures cooled a bit in late September, slowing the pace of ripening for red Bordeaux varieties. If yields were reduced, which of the following had the most effect? YIELD REDUCTION REASON Frost Pests Winter damage Not applicable Unsettled or abnormal weather in the spring or during fruit set EAST Wines & Vines Digital Edition View this issue on your tablet, smartphone or online at winesandvines.com/digitaledition winesandvines.com