2011 might go down as the worst vintage (for Washington, Oregon and parts of California) in memory. (Until the next time we have a an even colder year!).
From my perspective here at HHV, things are just about as bad as I’ve ever seen in my 13 years of grape growing. Let’s start with the facts. Budbreak is just starting in my vineyard here in Woodinville and is just a few days behind most of the Yakima Valley and the Willamette Valley in Oregon. My average budbreak here at HHV has usually been the 2nd week of April, but has been as early as the last week of March, but never has it gone into May much less the 2nd week of May! This will have profound impact on the harvest this year. We we get off to such a late start, it is unlikely that we can have a hot and long summer that is hot enough to overcome this late start. 2009 was a late starting year, but by the time we got to this point in the year, it was getting really hot and lasted all summer long.
I really don’t know what will happen at this point. The long range prediction is for La Nina to fall apart here in the PNW this Spring and Summer. Temperatures in the Pacific ocean are already rising so that can only mean that we’ll warm up. In the Columbia Valley it may be a decent year, late but most things will ripen. Here in the west side and down in the Willamette it’s going to be a very tough year if we don’t get some heat and have a very dry Fall.
Ah the joys of farming!
Above is an interesting graphic that I found at Cliff Mass’ blog. It shows temperatures across the country and shows how cold we’ve been here in the PNW. You see the big cold blue bulls eye on
That is depressing.
I only take solace in that most of my vines are entering their second year, and the rest are first year. So, I am not ripening anything. But, I need good growth to set up for a crop next year. And, I also planted fruit trees this year that need a good growing season to set them up to bear fruit in the coming year or so.
Good luck.
I always say you are lucky if you can time these cold wet years to plant a vineyard. Those of you that have new vineyards that aren’t bearing yet are very lucky! It can only get warmer from here (although I think I said that last year!).
Here on the Key Peninsula in PS-AVA we had bud break on April 28 this year.
Our Marechal Foch wants to fruit but alas… they are too young. What I am finding as I begin this new vineyard adventure is that buds don’t break on the same vine all at once and the rate at which they break forth to enjoy life with the rest of us varies from vine to vine. We are looking forward to 47 vines in the ground this year and planting more. I agree with your sentance about timing the planting in cooler, wetter years and this is my comment to wine repps when they ask about it in a somewhat stressed voice, “We are ahead of some and behind others in this cold year but my focus this year is on establishing vines not fruiting them.” Focused pruning at bud break and when shoots are 1-2 inches in length has made a world of difference in the height our vines are reaching this year. I love Puget Sound vineyard farming!
I keep waiting for the weather to “wake up” and turn on the heat like it did in 2009, but not going to happen right away…