Leaves turn from green to crimson and pumpkins smile a bright orange, signaling that the end of harvest is near. As wine growers across Santa Barbara County gather the last of their juicy, ripe grapes, they weigh in with their thoughts on the merits and promise of the vintage of 2009.
Despite some uneven temperatures, the weather that dominated the recent growing season was kind to the vines and their caretakers. Though generally a little cooler than the 2008 season, there was no repeat of last year’s late, damaging frosts, and the heat spells, when they came, provided a welcome boost to the ripening process.
“Things were two weeks behind all season,” said Benjamin Silver, owner/winemaker of Silver Wines, “but we got a succession of heat waves in late summer that were pretty extreme.
“We had three to four weeks of really hot weather,” he added, “so the ripening was accelerated toward the end and a lot of stuff caught up. In 2004, the sugars [in the grapes] jumped with the heat, but the heat came earlier this year.”
Ken Brown, owner of Ken Brown Wines and a prominent area winemaker for more than 30 years, explained that during heat waves grape vines can’t absorb water quickly enough to prevent the fruit from dehydrating. This causes a jump in sugar levels that can ultimately give rise to wines with an unpleasant, hot quality imparted by higher than desirable percentages of alcohol.
“In ’05, we had heat during Labor Day,” Brown remembered, “and it never cooled down. This year when it got cold, the vines still had growth going on and they had time to rehydrate. We had to be patient and let the grapes hang on the vines. It’s tricky, but we hit it.
“It’s all about the flavor,” he added with a laugh. “This year, most of the pinot noir finished slightly earlier than whatever normal is.”
In 1935, researchers at UC Davis began comparing the climatological history of California’s grape growing areas, keeping in mind that grapevines are physiologically active only at temperatures above 50 degrees F. They devised a scheme of degree days (DD) that classifies each growing area into one of five regions, based upon the total of the average daily temperature above 50 degrees F. during the growing season.
Early ripening grapes need at least 1700 DD to mature, while other heat-loving varieties can require 3500 or more. Vineyards within the Santa Maria AVA range from a Region I (less than 2500 DD) to a cool Region II (2500 to 3000 DD), while Happy Canyon, on the toasty western edge of the Santa Ynez Valley, qualifies as a Region III (3001 to 3500 DD).
This information helps growers choose the best grapes for their vineyard location. It also explains why pinot noir thrives in the Santa Maria Valley and Cabernet Sauvignon has found such a happy home in the Santa Ynez Valley.
“This season was cold and dry,” declared Brook Williams, president and CEO of Zaca Mesa Winery. “We had good weather in early October, but for weeks we only hit 2300 degree days, a good Region 1 or cool 2, and we usually get 2500 to 2700 degree days.
“This vintage looks pretty good,” he continued. “The yields are improved over last year. Mourvedre is the last thing we pick, and it was ready by Oct. 10.”
Workers at Laetitia Vineyard, in Arroyo Grande, began harvesting grapes for their sparkling wine program on Aug. 10, among the earliest start dates, while vintners growing long season grapes like Sangiovese and Mourvedre plan to finish up soon, depending on when and how much rain falls. Across the board, though, winemakers agree that the quality of this year’s crop is superb.
“The single most amazing thing is the vines are maturing at low sugar,” Silver said, “so we’ll have a lot of outstanding wine with fantastic flavors and low alcohol. This is the first time in 15 years that I’ve seen this.
“It’s been a great year for pinot noir,” he added, “because the heat wave came at the right time. The later-ripening varietals will be fantastic, but varietal wise, they’ve all been strong because they ripened at low sugar.”
According to Silver, modest alcohol levels mean that the wines will display a better balance of fruit and acid, as well as allow imbibers to “drink a bit and not be schnockered.”
“With lower alcohol,” he said, “you see more varietal characteristics and more complexity, which shows off the soul of the wine, not the power. And that’s exciting!
“I’m psyched!” he said. “Vintage-wise, this is a dream come true for me.”
K. Reka Badger is psyched about the ’09 harvest as well. Send her some samples at rekabadger@hotmail.com.
This article appears in Oct 15-22, 2009.