Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/918844
70 WINES&VINES January 2018 VINTAGE 2017 INDIANA Ohio River Valley Indiana Uplands Bruce Bordelon Professor of viticulture Purdue University The 2017 vintage was excellent overall. Fruit quality was excellent for both early ripening white variet- ies as well as late-ripening reds. Quantities were reduced in some areas due to frost, poor fruit set and herbicide drift. The Midwest experienced an early spring followed by a frost across much of the region in early May. Some vineyards suffered damage on early budding varieties. May was fairly wet, leading to delays in row crop planting and subsequent wide- spread herbicide drift issues. Some growers experienced severe losses, and the Indiana State Chemist Office fielded a record number of drift complaints. June was warmer than normal and drier. July and August brought cool, dry conditions that were ideal for ripening early white grapes. Quality was outstanding. Heat returned in September and Oc- tober, just in time to help late-ripen- ing reds reach full maturity. Early season disease pressure was normal, but experienced growers had no problem managing black rot and phomopsis cane and leaf spot. Late season brought more downy and powdery mildew than usual, resulting in some post-har- vest fungicide applications. Japa- nese beetles were the worst seen in several years. Ripe rot showed up near harvest on Marquette and CENTRAL Pinot Meunier grapes grow in an estate vineyard owned by New Mexico spar- kling wine producer Gruet, which harvested a record 340 tons.