Last week of August predicted as start of North Coast grape harvest

<p>North Coast winemakers have begun their harvest countdown and predict that the first grapes will be picked during the last week of August.</p><p>This puts crush about two weeks behind schedule, said Chris Bowen, general manager of Robert Hunter Winery in Sonoma.</p><p>Last year, on Aug. 10, Bowen began picking pinot noir sparkling-wine grapes at Hunter Vineyards near Glen Ellen last year, bound for Gloria Ferrer winery in Sonoma. That put him at the front of the pack.</p><p>Now, he and other growers and winemakers across the North Coast are waiting for the right moment.</p><p>“This year has been an extremely cool year,” Bowen said, with temperatures in the 60s and 70s instead of the normal 80s and 90s. “When it cools off, things stop ripening and that puts the brakes on.</p><p>“I've talked with a lot of winemakers and they're very worried about it raining on the fruit before it's ready to harvest. They're worried they won't be able to get it picked in good condition because a lot of rain can really cause problems (like rot and mold).”</p><p>Grapes groomed for sparkling wine are the first picked, with grapes destined for still wines likely to follow this year in the middle of September, said Nick Frey, president of the Sonoma County Winegrape Commission.</p><p>“We're short on sunlight,” he said. “We're getting this fog layer remaining until nearly noon. It's hard to produce much sugar when you're short on sunlight."</p><p>Frey predicts a compressed harvest of six weeks rather than the normal eight to 10. That creates additional challenges.</p><p>“There's the risk of tanks being full, putting growers at more risk while they wait for tank space,” he said. “These are uncertain times.”</p><p>The warmer Napa Valley has traditionally begun picking sparkling-wine grapes sooner than Sonoma, with Mumm Napa often leading the way. But in 2008 and 2009, grapes headed for Gloria Ferrer launched the picking season.</p><p>Both Mumm Napa in Napa and Domaine Chandon in Yountville expect to start picking the last week of August. That would put them two weeks behind the norm as well.</p><p>George Bursick, vice president of winemaking at Healdsburg's J Vineyards, who was busy monitoring four computerized weather programs, said his workers are triple-checking the presses to make sure everything is set.</p><p>“I'm expecting to be inundated with fruit,” he said. “This is shaping up to be a harvest not for the faint of heart.”</p><p>Bowen, who has worked the harvest for 26 years, said making peace with Mother Nature has been a long slow process.</p><p>He uses a refractometer to measure the sugar content in the grapes. He also tests for acidity levels, checks the maturity of the seeds, the color and condition of the skin and does a taste test of the berries.</p><p>A complex measurement called “degree days,” which calculates how much heat there has been in the growing season from bud break in March to harvest, is also a factor. While this year's figure vary from one region to another, Bowen said the most dramatic number he's heard shows the accumulated heat at 30 percent below normal for this growing season. </p><p>“Harvest is still a process pretty much controlled by Mother Nature,” Bowen said.</p>