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January 2016 WINES&VINES 95 VINTAGE 2015 1-800-797-2772 sales@primera.com www.primeralabel.com Print & Apply Your Own Labels In early October, the fear of Hur- ricane Joaquin precipitated harvest of later ripening whites and reds for rosé. Fortunately it veered out to sea, allowing reds an additional few weeks of ripening. Most grow- ers finished picking the week be- fore Halloween. There were a few glitches in the 2015 season; however, the weather was mostly cooperative. It was one of the easier seasons from a vine- yard management point of view. Winemakers are pleased with what they are tasting in the tank. ONTARIO Dr. Kevin Ker Research associate/ consultant CCOVI Brock University/ KCMS Applied Research Quality of fruit in 2015 was good to very good because of great rip- ening weather during the fall. In- dustry yields were higher than originally expected, but this was from fruitful secondary buds that survived the extreme cold tem- peratures of winter 2014-15. Por- tions of the province (southwest Ontario) were hard hit with cold temperatures, and the western section of Niagara had more win- ter injury than the east side. Vine- yard replanting and new vineyard planting will take place in 2016. It was a difficult winter with many severe low-temperature episodes that reduced bud survival. We had a fast, early spring with bloom al- most two weeks ahead of normal. June was a drizzly month with 15 days of recorded precipitation. July was relatively dry with high tem- peratures experienced the last week. Our fruit ripening months of September and October were very good, allowing for proper crop rip- ening and vine maturity heading into late fall 2015. No unusual pest pressures for 2015, although more growers are watching for scale and mealybug activity. MALB was active this year during harvest and over a longer period of time due to prolonged warm fall temperatures. No serious pest problems. Yields for 2015 were up slightly from 2014 but still down signifi- cantly from 2013 after a harsh win- ter of 2014-15. Prices remained relatively static. Many acres were replanted in 2015 with anticipation of more planting in 2016. New vineyards continue to be estab- lished, replacing other crops. PENNSYLVANIA Linda Jones McKee Editor Wine East The 2015 harvest in Pennsylvania was better than many growers and wineries anticipated. After a second winter with extremely cold tempera- tures across Pennsylvania, many thought the growing season might be more about replanting and re- As sugar levels increased in ripening wine grapes, Clover Hill Vineyards & Win- ery covered their vines with nets to protect them from birds.