The Melting Teapot

In the northern hemisphere, most wine grapes are harvested and crushed from September through October. When the grapes hit just the correct ripeness for that particular varietal or type of wine, they are picked and immediately taken to a processing center or winery.  Crush is that stage where the grapes are gently squeezed (or “crushed”) to break the skins and release their juice.

This year, throughout the west coast states, vineyard managers and winemakers are concerned about the cool summer and the delay of crush.  As with any agricultural product, weather plays an important role in the ripening of the grapes.  Warm temperatures and long hours of sunshine are very important as the grapes develop juice and sugars.  This year’s growing season started out slowly, and the grapes have been 2-3 weeks behind the entire summer.

In addition to less time spent in the heat and sunshine, a late start means that harvest and crush have been delayed, which could especially be a threat if the fall is wet and cool.   As Oregon's Willamette Valley wineries have discovered in the past, a crucial aspect of the quality for this year's grape harvest will happen during the next month.

The 2010 vintage so far is colder than 2007, the coldest since 1999. Go take a look at your favorite vintage score chart and you will likely notice a difference in the 1999 vs. 2007 scores.  September and October have a big effect on the vintage… in 1990′s 1999 was the highest scoring year. (How Cold is Oregon's 2010 Vintage? A Historical Comparison)

Already in California, though, the cool and wet summer has led to some cases of  “shatter” or  problems with mildew.

Rainfall in May was twice the historic average in Northern California. Growers who had battled drought in recent years were happy to see the rain, like Robert Biale winemaker Steve Hall, who didn’t have to irrigate until mid-August, but it also created problems...Some vineyards were going through bloom when the rains hit, stunting the size of the crop and creating loose and uneven clusters that matured unevenly, known to growers as shatter. “It’s the worst I have ever seen,” said Wagner.

...the combination of cool, moist weather and bountiful growth meant that mildew and botrytis were a constant threat. Many growers, already worried the grapes were too slow to ripen, dropped crop and pulled leaves, opening up the canopy for sun exposure and better airflow to make sprays more effective. (2010 Vintage Tests California Vintners)

However, the news isn’t all bad. Vineyards throughout California, Oregon, and Washington took many precautions to prevent potential problems.  Many spent time thinning their crops, removing grape clusters so a vine’s energy could be concentrated into a smaller amount of fruit.

Early reports from the first Washington grapes about to be harvested (primarily white at this point) are positive.  DeLille Cellars' winemaker Chris Upchurch recently posted a short video that takes a look at the Sauvignon Blanc grapes of the highly regarded Sagemoor Vineyards.  Among other things he notes that sugar levels are quite good.  Another Washington winemaker, Chris Sparkman of Sparkman Cellars, was interviewed for a recent King5 TV news story.  He said the late crush is “a unique opportunity” and noted that plant stress can lead to fabulous wine.  He also predicted that crush is likely to take place very quickly this year, that “it's probably all going to happen at once."

A wine enthusiast friend of mine once said that for several vintages now, Washington grapes have been so good "the wines practically made themselves."  This vintage will require more experience and skill on the part of the winemaker. Let’s hope that between vineyard preparation and skilled winemaking, 2010 will prove to be an elite vintage rather than a disappointing one.  As pointed out on the Sokol Blosser blog, “there are both challenges and opportunities in cooler vintages and…classic, quality wines are often made in vintages where there is farming on the edge.”

For now, it's a matter of waiting just a little bit longer before the energetic rush to crush begins.  I'm hoping to experience crush myself this year, and I'll make sure to post photos and updates as that happens.

Further Information

2010 Mendocino Harvest Report (California)

Harvest Report 2010: Cold Times (California)

Three California Winemakers Discuss the Difficult, Possibly Disastrous 2010 Vintage

Dundee Hills winemaker says 2010 looking like 1999 (Oregon)

Amalie Robert’s 2010 Growing Season (Oregon)

The Perfect Storm – Does Washington’s 2010 vintage have time to recover?