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January 2018 WINES&VINES 79 VINTAGE 2017 yards where growers tried this practice for the first time this year. If further research supports these findings, this could be game- changing for disease management before harvest. High yields of many varieties, es- pecially Riesling, meant many win- eries were tank-bound and unable to accept all of the fruit that grow- ers had available to sell. ONTARIO Niagara, Prince Edward County and Lake Erie North Shore Kevin Ker, Ph.D. Research associate CCOVI-Brock University Overall it was a challenging year, though ultimately crop quality was excellent and yields were up from 2016. There had been concern for late-season reds due to cool early season conditions, but a good fall period allowed for them to prop- erly mature by harvest. Some reds were harvested after November frost, but Brix, TA and pH came through with flying colors. Pinot Noir had challenges with sour rot in some vineyards, but harvest in these blocks still proved to be of good quality and quantity. For most of Ontario it was a good year, after lots of hard in-season work by growers to battle frequent early season rain and a prolonged ripening period. The 2017 season in Ontario was cooler and wetter than most years. Niagara and Prince Edward County had normal growing de- gree-days, while Lake Erie North Shore was slightly above average. Cool, wet conditions started the season and extended to bloom. Bloom to véraison had normal growing conditions. From véraison to harvest was excellent, with warm temperatures and moderate to low precipitation. Some fruit was slow to mature, as high tem- peratures in early September seemed to shock vines, but they quickly recovered. Good condi- tions through October allowed red vinifera to mature well, with some harvests taking place just after hard frost in early November. It was a high-pressure year for dis- eases: frequent rainfall, overcast skies and moderate temperatures. Downy mildew was more apparent in 2017, and powdery mildew was well controlled with fungicides. Dry conditions post-véraison kept botrytis in check, however sour rot was found in early thin-skin culti- vars such as Pinot Noir. Symptoms for leafroll and red blotch virus were more evident as growing con- ditions favored virus expression (cool season/slower cluster matu- ration). Multicolored Asian lady beetles were very active but well controlled. Some mealybugs were observed in non-treated vineyards. Brown marmorated stinkbugs were monitored and found in traps but not in vineyards. Spotted wing dro- sophila was monitored. Yields for most varieties were very good as conditions through bloom and Stage 2 were great for berry development. Prices were relatively stable from 2016. Growers made more use of mech- anized harvesters and optical sort- ers on harvesters to ensure premium fruit quality, remove poor fruit and decrease potential MOG for delivery to processors. We continued to deal with new pests (spotted wing drosophila and brown marmorated stinkbugs) being found but as yet not a prob- lem in vineyards. Sour rot and multicolored Asian lady beetles made it a late-season challenge to keep the crop clean. Getting the crop off and processed in timely fashion as yields continue to rise was an ongoing challenge for pro- cessors and growers. PENNSYLVANIA Linda Jones McKee Wine East editor Wines & Vines The outlook for Pennsylvanians' harvest improved when warm, sunny weather arrived in Septem- ber and continued into October. Michela Centinari, assistant pro- fessor of viticulture at Penn State, reported that most growers were happy with the quality of the grapes. She noted that 2017 was a challenging season, but most growers were fine. The early white grapes were average in yield and quality, but warm weather in September increased quality of the later season red grapes. In the Lake Erie region, above-average temperatures dur- ing harvest resulted in the largest Concord crop on record. Overall quality for wine grapes and Con- cords was excellent. Much of Pennsylvania had a cool, wet summer, but after Labor Day, the sun came out, the rain that fell How would you describe the average yields of the 2017 harvest? GRAPE YIELD Above average Record crop Somewhat reduced Average EAST How would you characterize the average quality of the 2017 harvest? Excellent Normal Good EAST GRAPE QUALITY ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° Vineyard managers were forced to be patient with ripen- ing, which was one to two weeks later than normal. Their patience paid off as flavors developed nicely with moder- ate Brix, 20°-21.5°, and low to moderate acids, 4-8 g/L. Alice Wise, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County, N.Y. 0% - poor 0% - little to no crop