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January 2017 WINES&VINES 127 VINTAGE 2016 INDIANA Bruce Bordelon Professor of viticulture Purdue University Overall this year's crop quantity was average, returning to normal following the polar vortex disas- ter of 2014. Many vineyards have been fully retrained and are back to full production. The mild win- ter of 2015-16 and lack of sig- nificant spring frost led to full crops. Quality of red varieties in particular was excellent this year due to a warmer than normal growing season. 2016 was warmer overall, and wet- ter during the critical ripening pe- riod. A very warm and dry June helped reduce incidence of the major diseases. August and Sep- tember were much warmer and wetter than normal, leading to some problems, especially with the white varieties. Red varieties, on the other hand, benefited from the warm conditions, which allowed for full maturity on late-ripening varieties such as Chambourcin, Noiret and Norton. The most common problem was bunch rot or sour rot complex in thin-skinned varieties due to ex- cess rain during ripening. Fruit cracking and subsequent spoil- age was impossible to control. Some growers experienced total losses on highly susceptible va- rieties such as Vignoles and Chardonel. Grape prices continue to be strong, and demand is far greater than supply. Labor availability is a major con- cern for producers in the Mid- west. Migrant crews are generally not available for short-term har- vest work. The polar vortex of 2014 killed or severely damaged many popular varieties. Some growers retrained or replanted, but others decided to pull those vines in favor of more cold hardy varieties. Valvin Mus- cat, Chardonel and Traminette were the most severely damaged. IOWA Mike White Extension viticulture specialist Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Both the quality and quantity of grapes were up in 2016. It was an excellent growing season with nor- mal to below-normal rainfall. The price of cold-climate hybrid grapes is gradually trending up- ward. Iowa now has eight mechan- ical harvesters, and this is the first year two units were used for cus- tom harvesting. Labor is short and expensive. Mechanical everything is becoming the trend. Field labor is short and expensive, but tank space was not a problem. It is common for grapes to move across state lines. Dry harvest weather allowed for higher quality tight-cluster varieties like Vignoles, Leon Millot and Seyval. Marquette, Petite Pearl, LaCrescent, Frontenac, Frontenac Gris, Frontenac Blanc, Edelweiss and Brianna are becoming signa- ture varieties for Iowa. MICHIGAN Erwin Elsner Extension educator Michigan State University An excellent growing season al- lowed for a real comeback in the region following two years of di- sastrous crop losses from extreme winter cold, spring freezes and a terrible hail storm in 2014-15. Most vineyards produced full crops with excellent maturity. Conditions were outstanding until late September, when a few weeks of rainy weather resulted in a flush of powdery mil- dew and cluster rots on very sus- ceptible varieties. Still, fruit was plentiful, of good quality and har- vested earlier than usual due to such a warm summer. The 2016 growing season started with an early and mild spring with no threats of frost after bud break. The summer was very warm and dry, but occasional rains were timely to keep growth rolling along. CENTRAL Fruit arrives at Oliver Winery in Bloomington, Ind. Hand harvesting at Chateau Grand Traverse in Michigan.