![]() ![]() Madera: Over 55 inches of rain and then the heaviest hailstorm in 20 years struck the region in 2017 and yet, final yields are up marginally. Yields are average although the Chardonnay is down as much as 20% on 2016. The high temperatures stalled fruit development a little but the harvest was underway by late August as usual. Livermore Valley: Heavy rains early in the year flushed the soils and meant there was plenty of water during some extreme spikes, such as over the Labor Day weekend. Crops were high and the quality good, especially the Cabernet. The summer heat affected areas in different ways depending on microclimates and farming practices with some rushing to harvest while others could sit back. Santa Cruz Mountains: Winter rainfall was as much as 100 inches on the ocean side leading to a similar situation as in Santa Clara with thinning and leaf pulling required due to exceptionally vigorous growth. The Cabernet and Petite Sirah are expected to be excellent. Santa Clara: Santa Clara was perhaps the wettest of California’s regions this year, experiencing rainfall three times the average.Īs it did elsewhere, it resulted in very vigorous growth and lots of additional shoot thinning and leaf pulling was required. Clusters were small than usual so the yields for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay can be as much as 50% down on the average. Harvest began in late August with quality above average with small berries of good colour. Santa Barbara: The story in Santa Barbara largely follows those of neighbouring regions but in August and September the heat was paired with very high humidity, which raised the risk of fungal diseases although no major damage was reported. The Labor Day heat spike was less drastic in SLO than elsewhere in California and the vines coped well.Ĭhardonnay yields are slightly higher than average and those of Pinot a little lower. More rains raised the pressure of mildew and botrytis but also led to vigorous growth and a good balance between crop and canopy. San Luis Obispo: With the harvest starting on 21 August, the season was slightly later than last year – mostly because of heavy rainfall at the start of the season which delayed bud break. Heat damage was a problem and the loss of potential fruit during flowering has caused volumes to slide but the quality of the fruit is reportedly excellent with good intensity and higher acids than normal. Paso Robles: A wet and mild winter and spring brought on an attack of downy mildew and cool weather during flowering caused ‘shatter’ in some varieties but created looser bunches for greater air and light penetration. The final crush should be around 170,000 tons with very high quality Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot expected. The early summer was warm and meant that the grapes for sparkling wines were being harvested in early August.Īs with the rest of the state, the August heat spike led to a rush to harvest certain varieties but the panic subsided somewhat in September. Monterey: A fairly typical, temperate season on the coast with plenty of winter rains a mild spring leading to a good flowering. Despite being in the path of the fires as Mendocino and Napa were, the only real losses were reported to come from losses due to the summer heat. Sonoma County: Record-breaking winter rainfall to the begin the season and a mild spring with a normal bud break meant a relatively stress-free start to the year but after the heat wave some of the grapes left to hang in the cooler September weather were then hit by rains which required canopy thinning. Yields will be slightly smaller than usual due to fruit being discarded due to shriveling and raisining as well as damage from the wildfires. A freak hailstorm in June caused isolated damage here and there but all progressed well until the heat spiked over the Labor Day weekend which brought on a rush to harvest. Napa Valley: As with Mendocino, Napa growers delighted at the winter rains and mild spring. Quality and yields for the Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel were very good but Chardonnay may be a little scarcer. The August heat meant the white varieties had to be gathered in extremely early but the later ripening reds enjoyed cooler weather. Mendocino: An earlier harvest than 2016 but only just, the winter rains fortified the vineyards in advance of the summer heatwave. With the 2017 vintage in California being hailed as excellent despite a summer heat wave and the wildfires in the north of the state, here are the regional reports from each of the major AVAs from north to south.
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