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Harvesting Temecula Grapes
High quality harvest in Temecula vineyards
06:47 AM PDT on Wednesday, October 1, 2008
By JEFF HORSEMAN
The Press-Enterprise
Video: Wilson Creek Winery grape crush
The 2008 grape harvest in Temecula Valley Wine Country is lighter in volume but better in quality, local winemakers said.
"This could be just a record year for us in terms of quality," said Ray Falkner, president of the Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association.
This week marks the home stretch for the harvest, which began in August. According to the association, Wine Country wineries and grape growers harvest about 10,000 tons of grapes a year, the equivalent of 1,666 average-sized adult elephants.
Story continues below
Ed Crisostomo / The Press-Enterprise
Cheo Serrano, vineyard manager at Wilson Creek Winery & Vineyards, pours the grapes into a destemmer/crusher machine. The harvest in the Temecula area is nearing its end.
Harvesting typically happens late at night or early in the morning so grape pickers can avoid the hot sun. Working early also means the grapes are picked at their coolest point when quality is highest.
Harvest season means 12- to 18-hour days for winemakers and grape growers, who work with teams of workers who pick the grapes by hand.
"I love farming grapes, but I hate to harvest," said Ben Drake, owner of a farm and vineyard management company and a resident in Wine Country more than 30 years.
So far, harvesters are seeing slight declines in certain grape varieties. Drake said one block of cabernet grapes that yielded 9 tons last year is producing 2 tons this year. Overall, he estimates he'll harvest about 500 tons of grapes this year, down from 700 in 2007.
Thornton Winery winemaker Don Reha also said he's seeing a drop this year. He attributes the decrease in part to a couple heavy rains in March and April.
"Ten minutes of heavy rain can knock off a pretty good portion of (grape) blooms," he said.
Wine Country was spared a late spring frost that wreaked havoc in many Northern and Central California vineyards.
Story continues below
Gladys Horiuchi, spokeswoman for the San Francisco-based Wine Institute, said frost damage varies from winery to winery. "It's very hard to make sweeping statements" on the frost's affect, she said.
Like Temecula, Horiuchi said fewer grapes are being harvested, but those that are appear to be of high quality.
Winemakers including Falkner and Reha believe the region's relatively cool summer played a major role in producing good grapes.
Excess heat stresses vines, causing them to shut down, Drake said. Conversely, cooler weather helps grapes mature, and fewer grapes leads to more mature fruit, he said.
The harvest comes as Wine Country seeks to make a name for itself among California wine regions. Local wineries are raking in awards at competitions, with South Coast Winery taking home a prestigious Golden Bear trophy at the state fair earlier this year. It was the first time the award was given to a Southern California winery.
While fewer grapes may drive wine prices up, it's hoped that Temecula's enhanced reputation can persuade wine lovers to pay a little extra, Falkner said.
Even if it doesn't, the slow economy makes it a good time to have fewer grapes, Reha said.
"To have a year with a short crop, it couldn't have been a better year," he said.
06:47 AM PDT on Wednesday, October 1, 2008
By JEFF HORSEMAN
The Press-Enterprise
Video: Wilson Creek Winery grape crush
The 2008 grape harvest in Temecula Valley Wine Country is lighter in volume but better in quality, local winemakers said.
"This could be just a record year for us in terms of quality," said Ray Falkner, president of the Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association.
This week marks the home stretch for the harvest, which began in August. According to the association, Wine Country wineries and grape growers harvest about 10,000 tons of grapes a year, the equivalent of 1,666 average-sized adult elephants.
Story continues below
Ed Crisostomo / The Press-Enterprise
Cheo Serrano, vineyard manager at Wilson Creek Winery & Vineyards, pours the grapes into a destemmer/crusher machine. The harvest in the Temecula area is nearing its end.
Harvesting typically happens late at night or early in the morning so grape pickers can avoid the hot sun. Working early also means the grapes are picked at their coolest point when quality is highest.
Harvest season means 12- to 18-hour days for winemakers and grape growers, who work with teams of workers who pick the grapes by hand.
"I love farming grapes, but I hate to harvest," said Ben Drake, owner of a farm and vineyard management company and a resident in Wine Country more than 30 years.
So far, harvesters are seeing slight declines in certain grape varieties. Drake said one block of cabernet grapes that yielded 9 tons last year is producing 2 tons this year. Overall, he estimates he'll harvest about 500 tons of grapes this year, down from 700 in 2007.
Thornton Winery winemaker Don Reha also said he's seeing a drop this year. He attributes the decrease in part to a couple heavy rains in March and April.
"Ten minutes of heavy rain can knock off a pretty good portion of (grape) blooms," he said.
Wine Country was spared a late spring frost that wreaked havoc in many Northern and Central California vineyards.
Story continues below
Gladys Horiuchi, spokeswoman for the San Francisco-based Wine Institute, said frost damage varies from winery to winery. "It's very hard to make sweeping statements" on the frost's affect, she said.
Like Temecula, Horiuchi said fewer grapes are being harvested, but those that are appear to be of high quality.
Winemakers including Falkner and Reha believe the region's relatively cool summer played a major role in producing good grapes.
Excess heat stresses vines, causing them to shut down, Drake said. Conversely, cooler weather helps grapes mature, and fewer grapes leads to more mature fruit, he said.
The harvest comes as Wine Country seeks to make a name for itself among California wine regions. Local wineries are raking in awards at competitions, with South Coast Winery taking home a prestigious Golden Bear trophy at the state fair earlier this year. It was the first time the award was given to a Southern California winery.
While fewer grapes may drive wine prices up, it's hoped that Temecula's enhanced reputation can persuade wine lovers to pay a little extra, Falkner said.
Even if it doesn't, the slow economy makes it a good time to have fewer grapes, Reha said.
"To have a year with a short crop, it couldn't have been a better year," he said.
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