Calm Before the Storm
Northern California prepares for the main show: summer
Posted: May 2, 2012 10:30am ET
At first
glance, things in Northern California wine country are sleepy right now, but
there's more going on than it seems.
Budbreak—when
the first green leaves appear on the vines—started in early April.
Temperatures in recent weeks have been generally in the mid-60s to low-70s,
which is average or slightly below, and there has been plenty of sun, but the
season is running a little behind normal. Bloom—when the tiny flowers open on
the vines—should start in about three weeks or so.
Bloom is
one of the most crucial times in winemaking. If there's too much rain or wind,
for example, the flowers will be damaged and pollination suffers. The size of
the crop could be stunted and the grape bunches may grow unevenly, a problem
growers and winemakers call shatter.
I've seen
more workers in the vineyards in recent days. They could be doing any number of
things. The first round of fungicides is being applied and irrigation systems
need to be mended after a long winter. They may be busy "suckering," which is
an old grower's term for removing unwanted growth. The new shoots may be
growing in the wrong place or a vine may be producing too many shoots, which
means too many grapes, which means lower quality.
You won't
find a lot of winemakers around Napa or Sonoma this time of year. There's not a
lot going on in the winery right now. In April and early May, winemakers
typically hit the road to promote their wines, traveling to cities where they
have key accounts, whether it's a sommelier, retailer or wholesaler. The days
are long and in the evening they often go to winemaker dinners late into the
night. The trips can last a week or two, and if you ask, most winemakers will
tell you it's the least favorite part of their job, especially if they've been
in the business a long time.
What makes
being on the road even worse is how beautiful Northern California is
mid-spring. The mountains are an effervescent green and wild flowers are
scattered through the vineyards and the last of the fruit trees are flowering
white and pink. Winter was disturbingly dry and just as we were ready to cry
"drought," March swamped us with near-record rain. We all but caught up with our average annual
rainfall.
I'll
be keeping a close eye on the vineyards in Northern California this season and
will periodically report back. Growers and winemakers here are past due for a
nice, long and uneventful vintage.
Maybe 2012 will be it.
The vinyards are beautiful in California this time of year, but they're pretty nice everywhere else too. I just got back from a five week long road (and boat) trip to nine western states and Mexico traveling through many areas we've never visited before. Every one of them had it's own beauty and charm. New Mexico, Arizona, Texas Hill Country and even Southern Utah all had green showing up on the vines, but the real beauty is in each places uniqueness and local charm. I've lost count of the number of times I've heard "We're NOT California", but everyone is proud of their own wines and especially the area where they've hung a shingle. We hit California, Oregon, Washington and Idaho too and they were as proud of their piece of "Terra Firma" as anywhere else . . . maybe a bit more than proud in some cases.
The vinyards are all beautiful, but one place stood out as being a bit more "unique" than the rest. Where else in the world can you visit a tasting room and witness a Rhinoceros, a Water Buffalo, and an Armadillo all in an hour? Only in Texas!