The End of the Harvest

I don’t think any harvest proves to be uneventful or routine. I discussed last month the effects of hail damage and how a few varietals were harvested a bit earlier. This month it’s been a war of attrition. The hurricanes pushed a little more rain our way than we expected. This combined with cooler temperatures has slowed the ripening of our red varietals.  

The rain brought some unwanted disease pressure that was easily manageable, but the major impact came from the cooler temperatures and cloudy days. It’s not a secret that plants require sunlight and warm temperatures to grow. These cooler days have forced the vines to slow their berry development. This is measurable through brix, or sugar analysis. For about a week Freddi and I scratched our heads as the sugar development came to a complete halt and the acids remained unchanged.

At this point, there’s almost nothing that can be done. Believe me, doing nothing is the hardest thing to do during harvest. The better part of the week was spent monitoring the vineyards and looking at the forecasts. It wasn’t until the middle of October that we saw warm temperatures and sunny days again. Freddi and the vineyard crew set out picking the last of the fruit at our Hollin vineyard and have made their way to the Norton now. 

November marks the end of harvesting fruit in the 2020 vintage and I know the crew is relieved. They will turn their focus to some minor vineyard management and sprays to ensure healthy vines for next year.