Following mid-April’s frost episode in parts of the Delta, California’s growing areas have been experiencing changeable conditions. Areas of the North Coast, particularly Lake County, received some isolated frost and hail episodes in May, with damage spottily distributed and less than was seen in the Delta the previous month. The vines were either in bloom or entering into it, raising some concern that fruit set may potentially have been affected. Since mid-May there have been some heat spells followed by cooler periods; early June brought some late rain and humidity, raising the prospect of some disease pressure.
What rain has fallen has been nowhere near enough to alleviate California’s drought. Where possible, growers have been irrigating to improve available water levels. Water usage curtailments are in force and it is hoped the impact of these can be mitigated by voluntary sharing agreements between growers, such as the Russian River’s Voluntary Water Sharing Program in which those with ‘senior’ water rights can sign up to share their allotments with those with ‘junior’ rights.
Lodi, meanwhile, has been experiencing unusually prolonged windy conditions – 15-20mph daily for a month or so – which raises the prospect of increased shatter. In the main, however, since mid-April’s frost, conditions in Lodi have not been extreme and bunch counts and berry-sizing look good. Further south, in the Valley, a heat spike past 100°F towards the end of May was followed by milder and then – with a sprinkling of rain around – more humid conditions.
In general, across the state, in spite of the longstanding drought and the real mixed bag of spring and early summer conditions, cluster sizes and architecture appear good. With degree-day accumulation lagging behind last year, vine development is certainly behind last year’s early timing and thus closer to average. We will need to wait for veraison to get underway before making a crop estimate.
The 2022 grape market has continued briskly, with supply now tight in Napa, Sonoma and the Central Valley. The bulk market, meanwhile, reflects the grape market, with activity focused on Napa, Sonoma and – for small lots – in the Valley. Grape pricing is generally high, and we are seeing some consequences of this, such as Coastal brands switching to California and, in turn, California export pricing moving up. Retail clients are understandably pushing back against increasing shelf prices in the current inflationary environment, expecting the wine industry to make things work at pricing in line with before; the consequence will be grape and bulk wine buyers shopping around more for sourcing that can work.
The Ciatti team stands ready to draw on its decades of experience to help you navigate these topsy–turvy times: Don’t hesitate to get in touch. In the meantime, read on for more on the bulk wine and grape markets, and stay safe.