2007 Harvest Wraps Up

From the San Francisco Chronicle
Lynne Char Bennett, Chronicle Staff Writer
Friday, November 16, 2007

California's 2007 season is being called a tale of two harvests.
This year's decreased crop size reflects weather vagaries as well as vine fatigue following the higher-than-normal 2005 and 2006 harvest yields.
Generally, yields were down 15 to 40 percent but with very good to excellent grape quality due to increased cluster count and smaller berry size, which means greater skin to juice ratio.
In total, California Department of Food and Agriculture's October forecast - which includes near-normal Sacramento interior and San Joaquin Valley harvests - projects 3.2 million tons, up less than 1 percent from 2006.
Sonoma County's combination of early winter rainfall; smooth, even growing season; and unusual weather conditions prompted Steve Dutton of Dutton Ranch to say, "The crop size was down, but we harvested beautiful, beautiful fruit this year. If someone's not making great wine from this vintage, they're in the wrong business."
Napa County's season was similar to Sonoma's, with early harvest of white and lighter red grape varieties and a relatively long break before harvest of later-ripening grapes. Michael Weis of Groth Vineyards calls the 2007 vintage "stunning."
"Our biggest challenge this year was to figure out what we will do with ourselves between our Chardonnay and our Cabernet harvest. ...This vintage is one of healthy vines, no Botrytis, no raisins, long hang time and stunning fruit!"
A mild winter in 2006 gave vineyards an early start to a long 2007 growing season that offset the delayed bud break that occurred in many regions. Consistent, moderate spring and summer weather allowed fruit to slowly develop, which helped achieve rich, complex flavors.
Less rainfall through the growing season stressed the vines, which led to lower yields but more concentrated flavor.
The moderate growing season was hit with a heat wave in late August, causing a scramble to harvest early-ripening grape varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc and others that ripened simultaneously. This first harvest rush was about two weeks early for most appellations.
By the second week in September, the weather cooled getting harvest back on schedule. Then the other shoe dropped. Early October's jet streams dropped periodic rains, especially in Napa and Sonoma counties and along the coast, though about 90 percent of North Coast white grapes were already harvested by that time.
In most regions the rain, while annoying, had no major impact on harvest or grape quality.
Sun and warmer weather returned by mid- to late September, allowing the rest of the grapes to slowly develop. On average, the remainder of harvest was completed as usual, though some wineries finished as much as a month early.