Statewide Vineyard Crop Development Update #8 October 30, 2009 Edited by Tim Martinson and Chris Gerling

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1 Around New York... Statewide (Tim Martinson) Veraison to Statewide Vineyard Crop Development Update #8 October 30, 2009 Edited by Tim Martinson and Chris Gerling With most vineyards harvested, final samples were collected four Cabernet Franc, one Catawba, one Noiret (see photo this page), and one Traminette (2 samples) vineyards this week (see fruit maturation report p 3-5). Samples continued to reflect (no surprise, as canopies have shut down in most areas) little movement in fruit chemistry numbers - and relatively low sugars and high acids. Final YAN samples (p.5) continue to show a wide range of yeast-assimilable nitrogen levels, underscoring the value to winemakers of tracking this important variable. We still have more to say, and so we will prepare a final edition of Veraison to next week, with summary berry growth curves, a brief wrapup on YAN, and Chris Gerling s review of the 2009 vintage. Lake Erie: Noiret clusters near Sheridan NY, just before harvest October 26. Photo by Jodi Cresap Gee Long Island (Alice Wise and Libby Tarleton) Though this season will be remembered as one of our cooler seasons, we broke 3000 GDD in Riverhead last week. Rainfall has been erratic all season, an all or nothing proposition. Either it rains a little on most days as in June or conditions are droughty like in August or we get infrequent but heavy rains as we have this fall. A few Merlot blocks were picked this past week though many are still hanging. Research vineyard Merlot came in at 21+ Brix and an average of around 9 g/l TA. Yields were down substantially thanks to a combination of poor set, feasting birds and, just in the last few weeks, hungry raccoons. Commercial vineyards are seeing some losses to wildlife but not as much as we have in Riverhead. We also picked Syrah, Malbec and Sangiovese. The fruit integrity of all three was decent with Syrah berries were starting to soften. Sangiovese, Malbec, Lemberger and Barbera are standouts among the reds this year, all have been very intense and flavorful. The latter two are still hanging along with Cabernet Sauvignon. Lake Erie (Jodi Creasap Gee) The processors are winding down, and most should be finished bringing in the Concords by the end of next week. crews in the Lake Erie region have had more rainy harvest days than nice harvest days this year, and most folks are grateful to be finishing up. For the wine grapes, the late season reds are still hanging on the vines, but for many, harvest plans are just around the corner, while the white varieties have been picked by now. The 2009 growing season has not been kind to growers in this region. Here is to hoping for a warm, sunny, moderately dry 2010! Finger Lakes (Hans Walter-Peterson) The end of the 2009 harvest in the Finger Lakes is in sight now. Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon started to arrive at crush pads this week, and will continue to come in over the next week or so. Concord and Catawba picking wrapped up earlier this week, with Constellation finishing its harvest this past Monday and National Grape finishing their pressing late yesterday or early this morning. Page Continued on Page 2

2 A few straggling Riesling and Vidal lots are probably also being picked over the next couple of days, based on some conversations with wineries earlier this week. In several discussions this week, growers mentioned that their crop estimates for vinifera varieties were higher than the actual yield that was picked. In a year with a lot of surplus grapes, this is not necessarily bad news. At this point, there is a lot of shuffling of juice and wine around from bins to fermenters to tanks in order to make room for everything. The overall impression that I have heard to this point from growers and winemakers has been that, given the conditions of the growing season this year, the quality of fruit is good. The late season reds may end up being the primary exception to this we will have to see how well flavors developed in these last couple of weeks before picking, and what winemakers can do with these varieties in the winery. Tank samples of settled juice and wines in mid-fermentation had some nice flavors in them, particularly the Riesling samples I tried. Indications continue to be that 2009 will be a very good year for Riesling and our other white varieties, and possibly Pinot Noir as well. Hudson Valley (Steve McKay & Steve Hoying) A few growers are still harvesting late reds in the Hudson Valley, but they should be finished by the weekend. Most sites have already lost their leaves due to freezing temperatures. One grower who had previously expressed concern about wood maturity and vine acclimation said his situation improved during the last couple of weeks. There is still concern about the overwintering potential of vines that had poor canopies at the end of the season due to disease. Whitecliff Vineyard reported that all grapes have been harvested as of last week. They reported the quality of Seyval blanc to be equal to last year and in general that juice chemistry of the earlier grapes was in the normal range. Syrah has good flavor. Higher acids and lower brix readings are the pattern for the later grapes. Millbrook Vineyards reported all whites are harvested, and that they will be harvesting Cabernet Franc this weekend. Whites are nice and aromatic with good flavors, and Brix ranging from 21 to Pinot Noir has good color, a thin mouth feel, and high acids. In general, the fruit has high acid, but better than expected flavor. Yields have matched earlier estimates which are a bit lower than last year.. Special Thanks to Ben Gavitt and Becky Nelson Each Tuesday and Wednesday, as samples arrived by overnight mail from across New York, Ben Gavitt, of the New York Wine Analysis Laboratory, and Becky Nelson, graduate student and MS candidate under Anna Katharine Mansfield, would spring into action. They provided analysis of both basic fruit chemistry (see titrator in photo) and YAN of well over 600 samples, providing the raw data for the Fruit Maturation and YAN reports by late Wednesday or early Thursday. Thanks for your efforts, Ben and Becky! Page 2

3 Fruit Maturation Report - 10/26/09 Samples reported here were collected on Monday, October Where appropriate, sample data from 2008, averaged over all sites is included. Tables from 2008 are archived at php Cabernet Franc Finger Lakes 10/26 Description Berry Wt. % TA (g/ ph (g) Brix L) W Seneca Lake H H H H E Seneca Lake Cayuga Lake Hudson Valley 10/26 HV Lab H H H H Lake Erie 10/26 Fredonia Long Island 10/26 S Side North Fork H H H H N Side North Fork Final Sample 10/ Prev Sample 10/ Average 10/20/ Catawba Finger Lakes 10/26 Cayuga Lake Final Sample 10/ Prev Sample 10/ Chancellor Final Sample 10/05 (Final-ed) Chardonnay Final Sample 10/ Final 08 10/1/ Concord Final Sample 10/ Average 10/13/ Corot Noir Final Sample 10/ Average 10/20/ Gewürztraminer Final Sample 10/ Marechal Foch Final Sample 10/ Final 08 9/22/08 (FINAL-HARVESTED) Page 3

4 Leon Millot Final Sample 9/ Merlot Hudson Valley 10/26 HV Lab H H H H Long Island 10/26 S Side North Fork H H H H N Side North Fork Final Sample 10/26 (one block only) Final 08 10/27/ Noiret Finger Lakes 10/26 W Seneca Shoot Thin H H H H W Seneca Noshoot thin H H H H Hudson Valley 10/26 HV Lab H H H H W Hudson Valley H H H H Lake Erie 10/26 Sheridan-no treatment Sheridan-crown gall Final Sample 10/ Final 08 10/20/ Pinot Noir Final Sample 10/ Final 08 10/06/08 (final sample) Riesling Final Sample 10/ Final 08 10/20/ Sauvignon Blanc Final Sample 10/ Final 08 9/22/08 (FINAL -HARVESTED) Seyval Blanc Final Sample 10/ Final 08 9/22/ Page 4

5 Traminette Finger Lakes 10/26 Shoot Thin H H H H No Shoot Thin H H H H Hudson Valley 10/26 HV Lab H H H H W Hudson Valley H H H H No Shoot Thin (1) Lake Erie 10/26 Shoot Thin (1) No Shoot thin (2) H H H H Shoot Thin (2) H H H H Final Sample 10/ Prev Sample 10/ Final 08 10/13/ Vignoles Final Sample 10/ Yeast Assimilable Nitrogen- 10/26/09 Chris Gerling and Ben Gavitt Yeast Available Nitrogen (YAN) represents the sum of Ammonia (amm) and Free Amino Nitrogen (FAN) on the accompanying table. Nitrogen levels play a large role in yeast nutrition during fermentation and deficiencies can lead to stressed and/or sluggish fermentations and potential off-aromas. Furthermore, compounds with implications for human health are also related to the amount and types of nitrogen compounds contained in must and wine. The generally agreed upon minimum YAN for a successful fermentation is in the range of 150 mg/l, while the optimum levels are considered to be at least 200 mg/l and often higher. Ammonium FAN YAN Variety Description mg/l mg/l mg/l Lake Erie 10/19 Traminette No shoot thin (2) /26 Traminette Shoot thin (2) /26 Traminette Shoot thin (1) /26 Cabernet Franc Fredonia /26 Noiret Sheridan no treatment /26 Noiret Sheridan crown gall Long Island 10/26 Merlot N side North fork Finger Lakes 10/26 Cabernet Franc E Seneca lake /26 Catawba Cayuga Lake Lake Erie: at Cornell s Lake Erie Reserch and Extension Laboratory (CLEREL) concluded this past Wednesday. Here s Terry Bates and Madonna Martin behind the last row to be harvested. They look happy. Photo by Jodi Cresap Gee Page 5

6 This newsletter was made possible through a grant from the New York Wine and Grape Foundation s Total Quality Focus program. Veraison to is a joint publication of: Cornell Enology Extension Program Statewide Viticulture Extension Program Long Island Grape Program Finger Lakes Grape Program Lake Erie al Grape Program Hudson Valley al Fruit Program Copyright 2009 Cornell University Finger Lakes: One of the last Riesling vineyards harvested was this vineyard near Ithaca, photographed on Sunday, October 25. Photo by Tim Martinson The information, including any advice or recommendations, con-tained herein is based upon the research and experience of Cornell Cooperative Extension personnel. While this information constitutes the best judgement/opinion of such personnel at the time issued, neither Cornell Cooperative Extension nor any representative thereof makes any representation or warrantee, express or implied, of any particular result or application of such information, or regarding any product. Users of any product are encouraged to read and follow product-labeling instructions and check with the manu-facturer or supplier for updated information. Nothing contained in this information should be interpreted as an endorsement expressed or implied of any particular product. Page 6