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72 WINES&VINES December 2016 WINE INDUSTRY NEWS WINE EAST L ancaster, Pa.—For once, the weather gods cut most grapegrowers in the East something of a break for the 2016 growing season. Most important, temperatures for the 2015-16 win- ter were milder than the previous two winters, although spring frosts were a problem in some southern regions, reducing yields for early budding varieties such as Char- donnay and Nebbiolo. The good news for the East Coast—from the deep south to New England—was that the season's only hurricane, Matthew, came up the Atlantic coast after harvest in the southeast was finished and headed out to sea without doing major damage to mid-Atlantic areas including Long Island, where wineries were still bringing in grapes. Many regions had hotter day- time temperatures than usual, fol- lowed by warm nights. In dry or drought-stricken areas such as New York, berry size was smaller than normal, but the disease pres- sure was less. In regions that did have more rain, including Texas and Georgia, growers adhering to spray schedules did fine, while others had some bunch rot and/ or downy mildew. The Midwest: Ohio, Michigan and Minnesota After two extremely cold winters, vineyards across Ohio, Michigan a n d M i n n e s o t a e x p e r i e n c e d milder temperatures. Tony De- bevc, owner of Chalet Debonné in Madison, Ohio, commented, "We had a balanced crop and ex- cellent quality, and I think these are some of the best reds we've had in 45 years." "After two years of almost no fruit, the vines came back this year with a big crop," Dr. Paolo Sabba- tini, associate professor of horticul- ture at Michigan State University, reported. He noted that a wet sum- mer led to some problems with fungal diseases and sour rot, and spotted wing drosophila (SWD) had appeared in some vineyards. Nan Bailly, owner of Alexis Bailly Vineyard in Hastings, Minn., is pulling out her farm's raspberry bushes, which attract SWD. Her area had significant rainfall dur- ing the growing season, with at least 1 inch of rain each week. "I thought we had a beautiful crop, the best in 15 years," Bailly said. "But then we had 6 inches of rain during harvest that knocked back the hybrids by about 25%." The mid-Atlantic: New York and Pennsylvania New York faced very dry condi- tions, according to Tim Martin- son, senior extension associate at C o r n e l l U n i v e r s i t y, a n d t h e drought was most severe in the Finger Lakes. Berry size was re- duced, sugar development was somewhat low, and yields for wine varieties were down by 10% to 30%. The Concord crop in the Finger Lakes and Lake Erie re- gions had small but sweet berries. Martinson reported 18° Brix in Concords, a number he termed "unheard of for Concords." After a mild winter, Pennsylva- nia had a warm March. Frosts ar- rived in April, but grape buds had not burst and there was little dam- age. Summer temperatures were very warm. Northwestern Penn- sylvania was dry, but precipitation started in mid-August and contin- ued at intervals into September. The South: Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia and Texas Dr. Tony Wolf, professor of viticul- ture at Virginia Tech, commented that after a "benign" winter and a warm March, April frosts dam- aged early budding varieties, es- pecially south of Charlottesville, Va. Ben Jordan, winemaker at Early Mountain Vineyards in Mad- ison, Va., reported, "The lowest temperature at one spot in our vineyard was 17° F. The vines were just pushing, and we lost some crop." Wolf estimated a loss of about 20% due to the frosts. Wet weather in late May and June was followed by dry condi- tions and a very warm growing season. Because harvest was a week to two weeks early, many grapes were picked before wet weather returned. Northern Vir- ginia got 4 to 6 inches of rain in four days in late September, and the quality of later varieties dete- riorated afterward. In North Carolina, tempera- tures dropped into the low to mid-20°s on April 9-10. In the Yadkin Valley, Chardonnay expe- rienced a 50% to 75% loss. Even after frosts, summer heat and rain in late September, Joseph Geller, viticulture instructor at Surry Community College, stated, "Viniferas yielded 4 to 5 tons per acre, and hybrids 6 tons. It was a great year for the reds." According to Fritz Westover, owner of Westover Vineyard Ad- vising, the southern Piedmont and the Blue Ridge areas in Geor- g i a h a d d r o u g h t c o n d i t i o n s through mid-season. "Toward harvest, there was some rain in the mountains," Westover said, "but it was hit or miss." Yields were generally above average, with vinifera producing 3 to 4.5 tons per acre and and hybrids yielding 3 to 5 tons. In Texas, the Gulf Coast and the Hill Country near Fredericksburg had rain throughout the season, and some growers experienced black rot and downy mildew. Nev- ertheless, yields on the Gulf Coast averaged 4 to 6 tons per acre with little rot. The Hill Country had a mild winter with little to no freeze damage. Warmer winter tempera- tures and wetter conditions, how- ever, led to an increase in Pierce's disease, as vectors contributing to PD were in higher numbers. Yields for the region were average, while the quality was above average, especially in vineyards with good spray programs. The High Plains region suf- fered hailstorms in late June and early July. Damage was severe in some places, depending on vine- yard location. Between véraison and harvest, the region had 6 to 12 inches of rain, and even grow- ers with good spray programs ex- perienced rot. The wet weather also caused harvest in the High Plains to be somewhat delayed, and later ripening varieties such as Malbec, Mourvèdre and Mon- tepulciano had trouble ripening. —Linda Jones McKee Wine East Covering Eastern North America Eastern Wineries Finish Harvest, Report Good Yields A harvest crew picks wine grapes at Alexis Bailly Vineyard in Hastings, Minn.