California dreams of an early harvest
‘Early’ is the word most often applied to the 2004 wine-grape harvest in California. Though the season itself was a normal length, from budbreak to flowering to harvest, everything happened ahead of schedule.
A California springtime is usually mild and temperate, marked by cool mornings, moderate afternoons (around 60°F/155°C) and occasional rain. For the wine industry, the possibility of midnight frost (to the chagrin of vineyard managers, whose job it is to start up the fans that prevent frozen vines) is an anticipated aspect of a vine’s development. But Valentine’s Day 2004 ushered in a spell of freakishly warm weather (80°F/26°C) that continued into April, causing budbreak to occur a full six weeks earler than it had in 2003.
Karen Culler, winemaker for Wolf Family Vineyards, Ladera Vineyards, and her own Culler label (all in Napa Valley), was thrilled with early arrival of spring. “Barring any freezing cold fronts, the grapes will have more time on the vine and a potentially early harvest,” explained Culler in April. “With a later harvest, there is a risk that the grapes will not have had the time and potential to mature to their optimum quality.” (In California, the longer the grapes are left on the vine in the hope that they will achieve greater ripeness, the larger the risk that they will still be there when the weather grows cold.) However, Culler, as well as many other winemakers, got her wish this season.
When the surprise heat spell levelled off in April, growers and vintners alike held their breath as freezing rainstorms arrived in Northern California. Many wineries in the lower elevations experienced a drastic overnight drop in temperature by about 50°F/10°C) on 16 April, while the mountain vineyards escaped potential damage. But barely two weeks later, temperatures soared again (to 90°F/32°C). Already there was speculation that harvest would be a full two or three weeks early and the tourist season had not even begun.
Vineyard managers such as Mark Neal, of Neal Family Vineyards, who oversees 2,100 acres of vines throughout the Napa Valley, reported that highly unusual weather patterns – early warm weather, followed by a strong cold spell and sudden spike in temperatures – ultimately caused uneven ripening in grape clusters, reducing this year’s crop. The drastic change in temperatures affected the growth of more sensitive varieties like Chardonnay and Merlot: some grapes developed early and quickly in the abnormal heat, while others lagged behind. Consequently, some wineries experienced a higher than usual volume of ‘shot’ berries – grapes with stunted growth – that would never reach full maturity by harvest.
For their part, sparkling-wine producers such as Mumm, Korbel, and Domaine Chandon began their harvest the third week of July, earlier than producers of still wine, while central California’s Paso Robles region followed a similarly altered timeline. Kathleen Conway from Carmody-McKnight in northwest Paso Robles indicated that, whereas picking started on 24 September in 2003, this year is finished on 22 September. Paso Robles is geographically three times as large as Napa, with significant regional differences and east-west valleys that bring oceanic influence into the west side of the region.
“The 2004 harvest took place earlier than I’ve ever experienced in 15 years of winemaking,” said Dan Panico, owner-winemaker of Paso Robles-based Dover Canyon Winery. “For us it began on 18 August, and for many Paso Robles wineries, even earlier.” We had a hot, dry spring and a normal summer. But the 2004 fruit looks promising, with incredible pigment, proper balance, and fruity aromas.”
Overwhelmingly pleased with the outcome of the harvest, winemakers will remember 2004 for grape clusters with small berries and ripe flavours; they expect to produce wines of exceptional concentration and power. The quality of the wine being prepared now has already been compared to that of the 1999 vintage, with stunning fruit and long-term ageing potential. The quantity may be lower than in previous years, but the quality should prove exceptional.
Positive reports came from both the northern and central growing regions of California. When harvest was over, Karen Culler said, “I am very, very happy – I was optimistic from the beginning. There was no spring rains and things started growing well, particularly compared with 2003, which was wetter and cooler.”
While the length of the season was essentially the same as in 2003, in 2004 the fruit was picked just in time to escape an early cold front; by all accounts, 99 per cent of the grapes had been brought in by the end of October, when more than 23cm (9in) of rain fell. Winter had begun.
