Protecting Napa’s valuable natural resources has not always come easy.  Competing interests and political initiatives throughout Napa’s history have generated controversy and often polarized groups with differing opinions.  In this contentious environment, developers and landowners have argued against environmentalists in order to protect their property rights to develop and subdivide land as they wish.  Environmentalists themselves have become fractioned between those that believe vineyards are an economical and sustainable way to preserve Napa’s land from urbanization and those that believe that vineyards pose a threat to Napa’s environmental sustainability.  The struggle for balance between development, agriculture, and nature’s preservation has created a unique story of passion, politics, and ecology.

In 1968, Napa County began its first political measures to maintain the county’s commitment to agriculture, the vineyard industry, and to sustaining the health of the environment and watershed by enacting the United State’s first Agricultural Preserve. The Agricultural Preserve was initially drafted to protect approximately 26,000 acres of farmland, by creating a minimum lot size within the Preserve of 40 acres.  Proponents felt that this would protect the agricultural nature of the county.  Opponents argued that the Preserve would unfairly limit the rights of landowners to subdivide the land for home sales or as inheritances and also lower the value of the land.  Ultimately, the bill was modified and passed, and the Agricultural Preserve now covers nearly 40,000 acres within Napa County (Carson 2008) although parcel size has been modified over the years depending on the amount of farmable land within the parcel.  Furthermore, in 1975, Napa County adopted a land use element to the county’s General Plan that designated land in the Agricultural Preserve as Agriculture, Watershed, and Open Space (AWOS) with a minimum parcel size of 160 acres or Agricultural Resource (AR) with a minimum parcel size of 40 acres and included regulations on maximum building intensity for these designated lands. 

In 1990, residents of Napa County were surprised when the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board listed the Napa River and its tributaries as impaired by too much sediment according to the federal Clean Water Act. Although there are many causes for this sedimentation including increased urbanization and municipal dams, vineyard development had increased significantly and hillside development and certain vineyard management techniques were contributing factors. The sediment had negatively impacted the watershed by reducing habitat and biodiversity and threatening fish and other species. 

In response, Napa County enacted Conservation Regulations in 1991 to address erosion control and stream setbacks. The intent of the regulations was to protect lands from excessive soil loss and maintain or improve water quality by minimizing soil erosion into the watershed during vineyard planting. The regulations included setbacks from streams and rivers to preserve riparian habitat and protect waterways. The Conservation Regulations also require Erosion Control Plans for agricultural projects involving grading and earthmoving activities on slopes over 5%.

In the years following, Napa County has become a leader in sustainability initiatives, and growers in Napa County farm with some of the strictest regulations and highest standards of agricultural anywhere in the United States.  Achieving these standards has come through the hard work and dedication of vineyard managers, landowners, government representatives, and environmentalists.  Although controversy and debate have existed throughout the history of Napa County, the results of all of Napa’s stakeholders working together to enrich the environment while maintaining and improving the wine industry has been realized through the success of Napa Valley wines in the global market, and the revitalized health of the Napa River’s watershed.

For more details on this incredible journey, read the chapter I wrote in The Business of Sustainability.  http://www.amazon.com/Business-Sustainability-volumes-Policies-Practices/dp/0313384940

An unusually dry winter has caused concern across California.  Areas received less than 10% of their average rainfall in December, and virtually no rain has fallen yet in Napa Valley in 2012. 

This year’s La Nina season is clearly different from the others, and it is unlikely that we will be able to catch up to an average year even if we have above average spring rainfall.  California has not experienced a drought since the years leading up to and including 2009; let’s hope that we don’t have a return to drought conditions.

The upside of this is that we have been experiencing lovely, crisp sunny days and have been able to get a lot of pruning done.  Additionally, there has been less of a concern of fungal pathogens, such as the canker diseases Eutypa and Bot canker, that are dispersed via rainfall and can enter the vine through its pruning wounds. 

It is still recommended to prune as late in the season as possible when the spore counts for these diseases are lower.  If that is not possible, it is recommended to pre-prune cordon trained vines, by removing most of last year’s growth, and leaving 10-12” canes.  If an infection occurs, it will be cut out when the final pruning cut is made.  Pre-pruning speeds up the final pruning pass, and if a grower is delaying making this pass as long as possible, it may be essential for it to be quick, especially if spring rains are occurring as bud break approaches. Cane pruning is less susceptible to these canker diseases.  Regardless, all pruning wounds should be treated to prevent these diseases.

Pruning is the most critical practice in the vineyard for achieving vine balance.  Two few buds selected can lead to overly vigorous growing points that remain in a vegetative state and shade and do not properly ripen grapes.  Conversely, too many buds can cause a lack of sufficient vigor and the resultant vines will be overcropped and suffer from ripening and concentration issues.  Pruning can be quite technical and crews should be trained to adjust their pruning techniques on an individual vine basis.

Weed control is another winter practice; however, the lack of rainfall has led to little ground cover, both desirable cover crops and weeds.

The recent forecasts have storm systems dipping into our area the second half of the month.  Let’s hope we get some good storms in!  Better now than in the spring!

The 2011 Napa Valley growing season got off to a slow and late start with La Nina conditions delivering a cool and wet spring.  Unsettled weather continued into late spring and early summer which caused shatter during bloom and reduced yields in many vineyards. 

The wet ground invigorated vines and growers were busy this summer keeping the vegetative growth in check via the practices of suckering, hedging, and leaf and lateral removal.  However, after literally getting burned after removing too much canopy in 2010, growers were cautious and conservative in leaf removal this summer. 

Many blocks needed little or no irrigation this year except for steep hillside blocks and blocks with well drained shallow soils.  A few strategic irrigations, especially post veraison, were sufficient in most cases. 

Due to the lighter crop and vigorous vines, not much thinning was required to achieve vine balance, but thinning was advised in heavier set blocks, as well as in late ripening blocks with hopes that a light crop will achieve optimal ripeness in this late year.

Weather was moderate for late summer, allowing for slow and steady ripening. Fortunately, no significant heat waves occurred and therefore no fruit was damaged due to heat events. This year’s harvest was one of the latest harvests on record, with earlier varieties like Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot noir coming in the second half of September. 

Significant rainfall from October 3rd through the 6th, followed by a warm drizzly day on the 10th, set up significant challenges for some blocks that had not been harvested already.  In anticipation of and in reaction to the rain, growers removed leaves in many blocks to reduce the risk of mold and to allow the sunlight that followed the rainfall to have its most significant impact on maturation of the grapes.  The rain delayed an already late Cabernet harvest, and certain blocks of Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet and other late varieties, particularly those with poorly draining soils or poor airflow, experienced some issues with mold.  Heavy and careful sorting was used to mitigate these issues.  Many blocks made it through the rain just fine, and we were blessed with a lovely second half of October allowing the harvest to finish without further issues. 

It was a challenging season, and certainly a reminder that Napa Valley is blessed to rarely have rain during the growing season as many other growing regions across the world often experience.  I have tasted many lots of wine from 2011 and have been pleased with the results.  In general, the wines are lower in alcohol with bright acidity, but very few lots taste underripe. Rather, they have nice balance and should be enjoyed by sommeliers, consumers, and critics who have been longing for a change from the super ripe style of wines Napa has become known for.  Even lovers of ripe Napa wines may appreciate this vintage for its unique character and elegance and the vintage variation that makes wine such a profound and provocative experience

This week marks the end of harvest in Napa Valley!  Fortunately, the weather remained nice throughout the second half of October, allowing grapes to mature and harvest to proceed at a reasonable pace after the frantic picking that resulted immediately following the mid October rains.  Shortly after the rains, all blocks that were either compromised from mold development or were close to ripeness were harvested rapidly, and the return of nice, dry weather allowed for those blocks with minimal issues to continue to ripen.

Unfortunately, some blocks didn’t make it to the level of maturity that would have been desired and winemakers were forced to harvest due to compromised fruit.  Significant rainfall from October 3rd through the 6th, followed by the warm drizzly day on the 10th, caused berries to swell and in some cases crack.  In sites with poor drainage or limited airflow (due to site and/or cultural practices) saw split berries and Botrytis development within a couple of days of the rains.  Many winemakers had to pick and sort through this fruit even though the grapes had not reached optimal maturity.  Optical sorters helped deal with processing more fruit than hand sorting lines are capable of in a limited time, and helped improve quality in these compromised lots.

Many blocks survived the storm intact, and although 2011 will not be marked as a very ripe vintage, many blocks matured nicely and will produce ripe, full bodied wines with nice structure and acidity.  Other blocks were intact but still did not reach Napa’s typical standards of maturity, and these blocks will produce elegant and structured wines with hints of herbaceous characters.  Hopefully, these wines will be appreciated by the growing community of critics that dislike Napa’s trend of a very ripe style of Cabernet.

Some winemakers left their growers in the lurch this year, both fairly and unfairly, by declining to accept their fruit.  If the grower did not accomplish acceptable yields and practices throughout the year and did not do their best to avoid damage and achieve ripeness, then it is understandable that the winery should not have to accept the fruit.  For growers who did their best, wineries should also do their best to accept the challenges and the vagaries of the vintage and make the best wine possible.  Perhaps some price renegotiations are called for, but only in the worst situations should fruit be rejected.  Both parties need to look at this as a long term deal and share the risk involved in this industry.

The threat of rain later this week has caused every sane winemaker to finish harvesting, even if they weren’t 100% happy with the level of ripeness.  Now, wineries are busy with pumpovers and pressing and getting the wine settled into barrels.  Growers are putting the finishing touches on erosion control and winterization including planting cover crops, and applying compost where needed.

I think there will be plenty of nice wines made in the 2011 vintage, especially from the top producers, and from producers who have blending flexibility as far as diverse fruit sources and also can declassify wines into lower tiered bottlings as needed.  It will be interesting to see if critics can sort through the vintage and find the gems, and if the critics of higher alcohol uber ripe wines appreciate the lower alcohol, less ripe wines made in this ‘Bordeaux-like’ vintage.

Napa Valley vintners have picked up the pace of harvest as lovely weather resumes after bouts of rain doused the valley earlier in the month.  Nice warm days and cool nights are helping to ripen the remaining later varietals and relieve the stress of the inclement weather.

However, high relative humidity and warm weather has lent itself to high disease pressure, and sites with poor drainage or airflow or damage prior to the rain are experiencing degradation from Botrytis and mold.  Winemakers are prioritizing the harvest of grapes that are the ripest or the most susceptible to Botrytis and mold. 

Sites with better drainage and air flow with sound fruit before the rain remain in good shape, and are benefiting from the recent warm days, although harvesting of all but the latest blocks should be on the schedule by now.

For those less fortunate growers, sugar accumulation has stalled and rot is becoming an increasing problem.  At this point, rot could have been mitigated in high pressure sites by sprays, careful leaf removal (damage to grapes during leaf removal may have worsened the problem in some sites), and some growers have used wind machines, leaf blowers, and the fans in sprayers to dry out vineyards after the rains or foggy mornings. 

Despite these efforts, there are a few sites that still have issues, and vineyards with damage need to be harvested before further degradation occurs.  Some growers with issues are making passes to thin damaged fruit before picking, and some are even shaking vines with the hopes that most of the damaged berries will fall off while healthy berries remain.  In some cases, winemakers are slowing down the sorting process to do their best to remove damaged fruit.  The new technology in vineyards is to use an expensive optical sorter (http://blog.vinestowine.com/2010/10/06/vintage-2010-seasonal-update-1062010.aspx) that removes berries that are misshapen or have poor color, and winemakers hope that this technology can be used to remove the random Botrycized berries this year. 

Although it is unusual for Napa Valley to have this type of disease pressure, especially in Cabernet, Bordeaux regularly experiences fall rains and these types of challenges.  We are relying on the experiences of our French colleagues to determine what techniques are appropriate to extract the best out of these grapes, while minimizing the negative impact of rot and underripe characters.  The techniques employed depend on the winemaker preference, the varietal, and the style and price point of the wine.

Techniques on the drawing board include using concentrated wine grape juice to increase sugar content (although an increase in alcohol may lead to more extraction which may not be desirable with less ripe fruit), the use of oak in fermenters or oak fermenters to soften tannin in less ripe fruit, and the use of technology such as reverse osmosis or flash détante.  Shorter macerations, and other less extractive techniques such as lower temperature fermentations and fewer pumpovers are also being considered.

Overall, the vintage is lending itself to lower sugar accumulation, higher acids, and top wines will have ripe flavors with great structure at lower alcohols.  It is important for wine lovers and aficionados to understand that every vintage is unique and special for its own attributes, and hopefully this vintage will be appreciated for California wines made in a more Bordeaux-like style and wine lovers who have long critiqued Napa for making uber-ripe wines will appreciate the 2011 vintage.  

Significant rain affected Napa Valley last week with showers lingering through Monday in the valley.  Areas in south Napa, such as Carneros, received about an inch of rain, whereas areas in the north of the valley and the hillsides received about three inches.  This has unfortunately stalled ripening in all vineyards, and has caused mold issues to develop in certain vineyards.  Fortunately, a return of lovely weather has calmed the nerves of Napa Valley vintners as harvest resumes at a heightened pace.

Chardonnay vineyards were the most affected by the rains with widespread Botrytis and mold.  Even vineyards that had sprayed for Botrytis protection were not immune to some level of rot due to tight clusters, thin skins, and the overall susceptibility of Chardonnay to Botrytis.  The best winemakers have chosen to sort the Chardonnay which may have normally gone directly to press.  Fortunately, the Chardonnay that wasn’t picked before the rain was close to being picked, and most of the Chardonnay in Napa will be picked by this weekend. 

Growers that had opened their canopies just enough for air flow and sunlight to dapple the fruit experienced less rot and mold than other growers.  Growers that had exposed the fruit too much and caused shrivel and sunburn, and growers that had left too much leaf coverage with not enough light and air flow to dry the fruit out, both experienced more molds and rot.   As always, growers need balance, in this case a balance between enough exposure of the fruit for sunlight and air flow to allow for healthy, uniform ripening, but not too much exposure to cause shrivel compromising the fruit making it more susceptible to rot or mold in the event of rain. 

Most of the light crops of Pinot noir, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay are already harvested in Napa, but we are just beginning to harvest the Bordeaux varieties, which are yielding more than expected and close to average yields, especially since grapes are plump and shrivel is minimal.  Although these varieties tend to have looser clusters and less risk of Botrytis, there still is a risk for Botrytis developing.  Most growers have chosen to remove leaves aggressively around the clusters.  The thought is that at this point in the season, it is unlikely that we will have a significant enough heat wave to damage fruit especially since we have shorter days, but that any additional sunlight will be beneficial to help dry fruit out to reduce mold risk and enhance ripening especially through the loss of green flavors.  Some growers that may have damaged fruit or still have two or more weeks left before achieving ripeness should consider treating for Botrytis. 

This is a year to be thankful for lighter crops as they do ripen quickly when exposed to nicer weather like today’s.  It is also a year when meticulous and balanced work in the vineyard pays off.  Harvest has resumed at a rapid pace, with many of the earlier Bordeaux lots getting harvested as this week comes to an end.  Next week will be a frantic week in Napa as the push continues to get the grapes into the winery before the weather turns again.

Cheers,

Remi Cohen, Vines to Wine

The pace of harvest in Napa Valley has really picked up with the recent nice weather and forecasters threatening rain for next week.  The weather has actually been blissful with nice warm days for most of the past ten days. Much of Napa’s Sauvignon Blanc has been harvested, as has a significant amount of Pinot noir. 

The Sauvignon Blanc yields are low, but slightly higher than some people had expected.  The chemistry has been ideal and so have the lovely flavors which have finally turned from green apple and pear profiles to more melon and tropical flavors. 

The Pinot noir yields are even lower than expected, tragically low for people who are making ends meet with their Pinot noir vineyards.  There has been some loss due to the recent heat, but overall yields have been reduced due to prior bad weather during bloom.  However, the quality looks incredible.  The berries are tiny, flavors are mature and concentrated, seed count is low, and seeds are brown and mature, and all of this has occurred at lower sugar levels and slightly higher acids than normal so we can expect elegant and balanced wines.

Earlier lots of Chardonnay have also been harvested, but much of the Chardonnay remains on the vines due to high acids and low Brix.  Chardonnay blocks experiencing rains will be at risk of developing molds such as Botrytis due to their tight cluster structure.  In blocks prone to Botrytis, growers may want to remove extra leaves to allow for better airflow and quicker drying, and may even want to consider a preventative spray.  (The picture above shows a Sauvignon Blanc vineyard that we leafed about a week ago to allow some extra sunlight to finish ripening and to allow for easier picking.)

The earliest lots of Bordeaux varieties are being picked this week too.  Some Merlot, Malbec, and a little bit of Cabernet is ready.  Similar to the Pinot noir, the Bordeaux varieties are showing nice flavors at lower Brix, but many still have some herbaceous characters.  Some winemakers are choosing to harvest earlier than they may normally want to due to the threat of pending rain; others are choosing to let their earliest lots hang longer in the hopes that they will be the ripe component of blends as later blocks may not get that ripe in this late vintage.  Who knows which strategy is best? Probably a combination is a good idea.

Overall canopies are healthy, and the vineyards look amazing.  The main concern is getting the grapes to finish ripening sooner than later.  I recommend leafing in later blocks that are still weeks away from harvest.  It was good to have left some leaf protection earlier in the season, but now that the risk of a heat wave is minimal, and weather may be turning cooler, it is a good time to get some sunlight directly on these clusters. 

The other main concern is how condensed the rest of this harvest is going to be.  Cool and possibly wet weather next week will delay the harvest of the remaining fruit, and once the warm weather returns, it will be a scramble to get everything harvested at once.  Hopefully wineries have enough space and there is enough labor to get it all done!

Let’s keep our fingers crossed for these forecasted rain events to be minimal or non-existent, and for nice weather to return soon after since we have the possibility for a high quality vintage.  Let’s bring it in!

Harvest has gotten off to a slow start in Napa Valley.  Most of this season’s weather has been defined by competition between a trough off the coast of northern California and a ridge of warm weather to the east.  The trough has been winning, keeping our mornings foggy and afternoon temperatures cool with breezes.  At this point, 2011 is the latest harvest many people in Napa Valley have experienced.

The sparkling wine harvest, where grapes are harvested at high acid and low sugars (18-22 Brix), is in full swing.  Earlier lots of Pinot noir for still wine are starting to trickle in, as are lots of Sauvignon Blanc from warmer regions within Napa Valley.

Although 2011 began as a challenging vintage, the vineyards look amazing right now.  Yields are low, and canopies are healthy.  Early indications are that flavors are good at lower sugar levels, which should translate to a lower alcohol year.  We are also seeing earlier seed browning and maturation which should lead to softer, more mature tannins in the wine.

Next week, we should see a lot of Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot noir get harvested.  The earlier lots of Merlot and Malbec in warmer regions of Napa Valley are not far behind.  Chardonnay is going to be later this year, with most of the harvest in October.  Cabernet Sauvignon is late too, and even many early blocks are looking at a mid-October harvest estimated date.  Mountain Cabernet and cool climate Syrah are riskiest at this point, with a late October or early November forecasted harvest date.

The weather forecasters are expecting a strengthening of the ridge and a little warming for next week.  We could really use it.  Moderate temperatures at or slightly above normal through October could make for an epic vintage.  Let’s hope for a nice Indian Summer!

A continuation of moderate weather and a lighter crop has allowed for a nice, uniform progression of veraison in Cabernet Sauvignon in Napa Valley.  However, the weather has been so moderate that ripeness is tracking three to four weeks behind an ‘average’ year, and even a week or so behind last year’s late harvest. 

Early blocks of Chardonnay, Merlot, and Malbec are not far behind, with some blocks even close to 20 Brix.  All of the varieties being so close in maturity coupled with the delayed onset of harvest means that harvest is going to be very compressed this year, making for an insane second half of September and October!  The light crop looks to have a very high quality potential, so let’s keep our fingers crossed for the moderate weather to continue, hopefully with some tempered warming, and no early rains or frost events this year.

As we finish the green drop in the later sites, which is going to be critical to achieve uniformity of ripeness, and accelerate ripening in the later blocks, we can turn our attention to the fall activities in preparation of the winter. Now is the time to order cover crop seeds for planting, and materials such as straw bales and straw wattling for erosion control on hillside sites.  It is also a good time to apply compost to blocks with weak areas or with low organic matter in the soil.  Call me if you want any advice on these fall activities!  Cheers!