Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/766392
January 2017 WINES&VINES 131 VINTAGE 2016 NEW YORK —FINGER LAKES Hans Walter-Peterson Viticulture extension specialist Cornell Cooperative Extension The grape crop in the Finger Lakes was a bit below average this year. Much of this can be attributed to the extreme drought conditions that persisted through much of the season, which reduced berry size almost across the board. Lack of rain, however, meant that disease pressure was lighter than usual, reducing the amount of fruit dis- carded due to rot. Acidity was gen- erally lower than usual due to a warm growing season. Sugar ac- cumulation was hindered in some cases due to water stress, but overall impressions are that quality is very good. Years like this tend to be especially good for production of red wines in the Finger Lakes. The Finger Lakes experienced the driest season anybody can remem- ber. Normal rainfall averages were just above 3 inches per month dur- ing the growing season, but by mid- August this year we had received only 5 inches total. Very few vine- yards in the Finger Lakes have irriga- tion, so some symptoms of water stress were visible in most vine- yards. Rainfall increased somewhat by the end of August, helping to im- prove vine health during ripening. Disease pressure was light for most of the season due to the lack of rainfall. Some growers were able to reduce spray applications by almost half before rains returned in September and October. Heavier rain in October brought late-cluster rots in some vineyards, but still less than most years. According to price lists provided by the industry, average prices for most varieties increased in 2016. Vine- yards are still recovering from winter injury sustained in the past three years, so wineries are still having trouble filling their needs, especially for Riesling and Cabernet Franc. NEW YORK —LONG ISLAND Alice Wise Viticulturist Cornell Cooperative Extension Overall, yields were slightly higher than normal on Long Island, par- ticularly for Merlot. Quality was very good, with clear expression of varietal character over a range of Brix. Regardless of the Brix, acids were on the low side, likely due to the summer heat. After a cool spring, the summer was hot and dry, requiring growers to irrigate vineyards with sandier soils. It is now very common for the regions to have an extended period of hot, dry weather in sum- mer. In early October, Hurricane Matthew threatened the East Coast but fortunately veered out to sea and did not impact the north- east. Harvest proceeded as per usual, though temperatures dipped below normal in October. Early summer rainfall started up some downy mildew that persisted all season. Fortunately, most infec- tions were confined to the top of the VSP canopy, something that is not unusual in a maritime climate. There was some Botrytis in sus- ceptible varieties at harvest. Because leafing the cluster zone by hand is one of the most expen- sive practices, several growers in- vested in cluster zone leafing machines. This is a significant in- vestment for the small businesses on Long Island. ONTARIO Dr. Kevin Ker Research associate Brock University–CCOVI Harvest was very good this year as crop levels (69,700 tonnes, or 76,831 tons) rebounded from 2015 (53,250 tonnes or 58,698 tons). The Niagara region, the largest grape- producing area in Ontario, had good production in all cultivars de- spite an almost drought-like grow- ing season. Some areas had less tonnage than expected due to dry conditions, and some vineyards also has lower Brix than hoped. Overall though, things were very good, and vines are in good shape heading into winter 2016-17. This was an incredibly dry season with precipitation around 50% of normal during the growing season with rains coming late in the sea- son and past harvest for many cultivars. Also, it was unseason- EAST Baco Noir clusters form at Bully Hill Vineyards in the Finger Lakes. Lakewood Vineyards harvests wine grapes in Watkins Glen, N.Y.