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January 2017 WINES&VINES 119 VINTAGE 2016 continue to push the grape indus- try to transition to mechanization. The use of Thompson seedless as wine grapes will be a challenge. Pinot Gris and red blends have be- come more and more popular in this region. LAKE COUNTY Tracey Hawkins Co-founder Hawk and Horse Vineyards From bud break through bloom and véraison,Lake County saw textbook weather patterns. Warm spring days, shifting to a hot, bright summer with cooling coastal breezes in the evenings. Harvest was slightly early—not as early as the 2015 vintage, but about two weeks earlier than normal. County- wide, growers reported even matu- rity and ripening. Yields for white varieties were slightly above aver- age. Yields for reds have been more variable, with some yields above average and some slightly below average. MADERA, MERCED AND MARIPOSA COUNTIES Lindsay Jordan Area viticulture advisor University of California Cooperative Extension Rains in March and April allowed for vigorous vine growth early in the season, but also variable con- ditions during bloom, which may have affected fruit set on some va- rieties. Very hot summer tempera- tures sustained from the end of June onward resulted in some re- ports of undesirable raisining and sunburn and a lack of color devel- opment in red varieties like Caber- net Sauvignon. Even when quality was maintained, overall yields ap- peared to be somewhat less than average for most varieties. While El Niño did not bring the on- slaught of rain many growers hoped for during the winter, we did see a wet spring, which helped bolster a more uniform bud break. A very hot summer followed, with one intense heat wave event in late June that ushered in sustained high summer temperatures for the rest of the season. Harvest was almost entirely complete by late October, when the first real rain event occurred. There was ample rain in the months of March and April, allow- ing for some phomopsis and botrytis shoot tip infections to emerge. According to the Powdery Mildew Risk Assessment Index, conditions were generally favor- able for powdery mildew growth from April until July. MENDOCINO COUNTY Sufficient rainfall last winter al- lowed the vines in the North Coast to develop strong roots and pro- duce full canopies. "This has really helped the vineyards in Men- docino, Red Hills and Alexander Valley thrive through the late-sea- son heat that pushed our Caber- net, Petite Sirah, Zinfandel and Syrah to ripeness after a long, cool summer of even and steady fruit maturation," said John Killebrew, winemaker at Z. Alexander Brown Wines. "We are pleased with the excellent flavor development, acid, and tannin balance that we will reap from this excellent vintage." George Phelan, director of wine- making at Dunnewood Vineyards & Winery, said Oct. 2 marked the first storm of the 2016 harvest and followed "a near-perfect growing season" as the rains came after the majority of the fruit in Mendocino County had been picked. "The 2016 growing season started with winter and spring rains that were near nor- 509.524.8500 rackandmaintenance.com office@wegotracks.com PROUDLY MADE IN AMERICA YOUR SOURCE FOR BARREL RACKS ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° New sprayers, tractor and contracted for me- chanical harvesting of about 35% of our acreage. Charles Barra Owner Barra of Mendocino Redwood Valley, Calif.