5 replies to this topic

[Fog's Edge]

2011 was a disaster . . . rain at flowering, rain at harvest, fog and cold between. From the figures I've seen everyone was hit hard.

Here, 2012 is just the opposite (knock on wood). Little rain over winter, almost none in the spring, loads of sun and warmth. Big clusters, and two clusters on most canes. Fog clearing early and not much drip, but not really hot either. You almost feel sorry for the fungi cause it's not their kind of weather. AND prices are high cause the wineries couldn't get enough grapes last year.

Most grapes are over 1/8th inch, many reaching 3/16th. Cluster closure just around the corner.

Is everyone else doing as well?

[Overlook Vineyards]

Having been fighting excessive vigor for the past 2-3 years, I think the lack of rains have contributed to our vines looking better this year. Sad for our water supply, but good for the vines thus far!

2011 was brutal - Nov 30 harvest complete with never-before-seen botrytis for our Cab Sauv!

[gregorio]

So far, it is a mixed bag for us. Significant late season rain has caused long shot growth (good) but laterals are already 3' long (bad). It also gave us large cluster sizes (good) but now it is turning into large berries (bad).

[kakeeler]

We've had some of the same issues. The Petite Sirah had so many large clusters, it's been problematic -- and we've dropped fruit and dropped fruit and dropped fruit. The Cab and Zin are behaving themselves -- for now.

[Fog's Edge]

So far, it is a mixed bag for us. Significant late season rain has caused long shot growth (good) but laterals are already 3' long (bad). It also gave us large cluster sizes (good) but now it is turning into large berries (bad).

As a newbie with two bad years behind me, maybe I'm getting excited when I should be worrying. How do you know when berries are too big? We're a ways from cluster closure and a long ways from veraison. When they get big enough to close the clusters, the berries are still going to be pretty small . . . I'd guess 1/4 inch diameter for the larger berries with some little guys squeezed between. Also, how do you decide whether you have too many clusters?

[gregorio]

As a newbie with two bad years behind me, maybe I'm getting excited when I should be worrying. How do you know when berries are too big? We're a ways from cluster closure and a long ways from veraison. When they get big enough to close the clusters, the berries are still going to be pretty small . . . I'd guess 1/4 inch diameter for the larger berries with some little guys squeezed between. Also, how do you decide whether you have too many clusters?

It takes a few years to build a baseline. You can also see what is happening in other sites around you and ask how the growers there feel about the crop. We "like" to see elongated clusters with no shoulders and small berries that never touch each other. That is not always what we get!

There are several times a year when we adjust cluster count. At no time do we want more than 2 per shoot and it is rare in our area to get more than that. However, if we do, the thirds are dropped after set. Right at the start of verasion, we drop seconds on any shoots that are under performing and overly large shoulders. We want to see at least 7 full sized leaves above the fruit per cluster. Very large shoulders can count as another cluster. At the end of verasion or at least 75% through, we drop anything that is still green. If we did our jobs right at the start, there are very few green clusters at this time.

Depending on how much heat we are experiencing between verasion and ripening, we consider dropping more shoulders. In extreme cases, we will drop all seconds if the fruit is not ripening. We did this in a couple sites last 2 years and saw 1-2 brix jump after doing so. It is better to have quality over quantity.