in the vineyard and winery
Harvest 2007 comes to a close: growers stay flexible, winemakers are delighted
Harvest 2007 is completed in the Napa Valley and it looks to be a stunning vintage, but it was not without a few surprises. This was a vintage of contrasts: contrasts from previous vintages, and contrasts from early predictions to final outcome, yet winegrowers adapted to changing conditions all along the way to finish with what looks to be an outstanding vintage for Napa Valley wines all across the board.
Napa Valley accounts for eight percent of the state’s winegrape vineyards, but continually yields just 4% of the state’s harvest. This shows Napa Valley vintner’s commitment to quality winegrape growing, cropping to half the statewide average, bringing only the very best grapes to crush.
Read more about what wine industry insiders are saying about this harvest and their outlook for the 2007 vintage…
The Growing Season
The year began dry with some very cold days and single-digit nighttime temperatures around the New Year holiday, the opposite to the start of 2006 when floods greeted the New Year. The season continued dry, with about 60% of normal precipitation throughout the appellation. Temperatures were warmer than normal as winter continued into spring with resulting earlier budding, bloom and set in the vineyards across all varieties.
Soils dried early in spring due to low precipitation, which halted canopy production early in the season. This allowed field crews the opportunity to do even more refinement in fruit thinning as they spent less time managing the canopy, a positive benefit to the lack of winter rainfall in the region.
The summer growing season continued on the mild to cool side, with few days topping 100 degrees, even in the warmest locations in the appellation. There were also notably fewer days in the 90s, which changed early predictions that ’07 would be an unusually early harvest. Any fears that labor shortages might occur faded as the cool summer found harvest returning to a more traditional, even relaxed, pace. There was a brief period of heat that spiked around Labor Day, but the temperatures cooled after several days. This heat spike added the boost of sugar development that growers were looking for to complement the excellent acid structure developed in the white varieties.
Early Harvest – Whites and Lighter Reds
Harvest of Chardonnay began in early to mid-August in Carneros and southern Napa, followed by Pinot Noir, both for sparkling wine, as these are always picked at lower brix (sugar levels), than those for still wine. The first rounds of thinner-skinned white varieties like Riesling, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc and then Chardonnay for still wines began in late August and continued into mid-September. Chardonnay is the top white variety planted in Napa Valley with about 7,100 acres under cultivation cropping at just over 3 tons per acre, with an average 2006 price of $2,200 per ton. A distant second is Sauvignon Blanc at 2,400 acres, Pinot Gris/Grigio at 262 acres and Semillon at 172 acres.
What insiders are saying…
“The vintage is below average in terms of yields, but of very promising quality…,” said Remi Cohen, vineyard manager, Merryvale Vineyards.
Steve Reynolds of Reynolds Family Vineyards said of Chardonnay, “Great vintage, weird, but good!”
Allen Price of Casa Nuestra reported that: “It was an early harvest with average crop load. The flavors…developed quickly so the wine ‘kind of made itself this year.’”
“The 2007 vintage is looking very promising. The fruit ripened at a very steady pace, making for nearly ideal chemistry and flavor development…the 2007 vintage allowed us to be very selective and pick at exactly the desired level of maturity.” said Toby Halkovich, viticulturist at Cakebread Cellars.
Michael Weis of Groth Vineyards said, “STUNNING is the only way to describe the 2007 vintage…Our biggest challenge this year was to figure out what we will do with ourselves between our Chardonnay and our Cabernet harvest--lunch, the beach, bocce ball, a nap?”
Harvest - Structured Reds
Statewide, Cabernet Sauvignon accounts for just 12% of the harvest, but in Napa Valley, Cabernet is king at 36% of the overall harvest and more than half of the harvest for red wines or what are called “black” varieties. The average price per ton of Napa Valley Cabernet in 2006 was $4,126 per ton, though the top dollar went to Petit Verdot at nearly $5,100 per ton. Though considered the heritage grape for California, Zinfandel represents just 2% of Napa Valley’s harvest.
In September the region saw a couple of periods of brief precipitation. Nearly all white varieties were already picked and the thicker-skinned black varieties like Cabernet and Merlot were unaffected by the rain.
The valley floor crop, including most of the black varieties, was almost fully harvested when unseasonably cool and wet weather arrived the second week in October, with nearly an inch of rain falling in parts of the appellation. The hillside and higher elevation vineyards still had anywhere from 25-50% of their crop on the vine, but while the rain was just enough to penetrate several inches into the soil, not enough to get to the root zone of most vineyards.
Growers on the hillsides were increasingly concerned with the unseasonably cool and wet weather lasting into mid-October, with vineyards on the cusp--fully ripe fruit, but wanting that extra day for just a little more “je ne sais quais.” Indian Summer returned with warm, clear days and vineyard crews sprang into action to finish harvest for what appears to be a vintage of exceptional quality from all points around the Napa Valley.
What insiders are saying…
Chris Dearden, winemaker at Benessere noted about the rain “…we had a few sprinkles mid-September to wash off the dust, with no detrimental effects.”
“The steady temperatures allowed us to bring in smaller batches of fruit at a time, which has meant that our cellar crew was going home at 4:30pm, making it one of the most “family friendly” harvests in a long time,” Elias Fernandez, winemaker for Shafer Vineyards.
“It still looks like 2007 could be the best vintage in the last decade,” said The Hess Collection’s winemaker Dave Guffy.
“While Mother Nature may not have given us all we wanted in tonnage and yields she has made up for it with wines of incredible intensity and concentration,” Tim R. Dolven, winemaker, Steltzner Vineyards.
Napa Valley Vintners Auction Napa Valley Announces $8.8 Million in Giving: A Celebration of Health and Human Services in Napa County
A Day of Celebration
Napa Valley Vintners awarded grants to healthcare, affordable housing and youth service non-profits at a special celebration held on November 2nd at COPIA in Napa.
The check distribution ceremony was festive and imbued with a spirit of prizes to be won…the prizes being millions of dollars in much-needed grants to support this integral network of agencies.
$6.4 million was granted to 47 organizations ranging from Queen of the Valley and St. Helena Hospitals, Healthy Moms and Babies to Child Start, the Boys and Girls Club, Calistoga Affordable Housing and Hospice of Napa Valley, among many others. Another $2.4 million was identified for Napa Valley Vintners Community Strategic Initiatives. Click here to see a complete list of local non-profits who received grants.
NVV’s 5 x 5 Community Promise
In 2007, the NVV made a $25 million promise to the community, ensuring that the Auction will distribute a minimum of $5 million to its beneficiaries each year over the next five years. With the windfall of money raised at this year’s event, the Auction was able to award 28% more than projected as well as an additional $2.4 million for major funding projects known as Napa Valley Vintners Community Strategic Initiatives that will have dynamic impact on the Napa County community. The Auction’s Board of Directors, comprised of vintner and community leaders, undertakes the task of defining the best use of these funds. After an extensive community needs assessment, the board is working to finalize these projects. Similar projects have included:
In 2005, the 25th anniversary Auction created a $1 million donation to the Children’s Health Initiative (CHI) for a three-year commitment to ensure every child in Napa County had access to healthcare. This grant was the single-largest industry grant to a CHI in history. Peter McCrea, president of the board of directors for NVV and ANV said, “This gift has reaped unimaginable benefit to the community and we look to make a significant impact with this year’s giving.”
In 1999, the Auction provided a $3 million grant to help construct the Napa Valley Vintners Health Center in Napa that today houses four longtime ANV beneficiaries: Clinic Ole, Healthy Moms and Babies, Napa Emergency Women’s Services and Sister Ann Dental Clinic. The creation of this center has improved referrals among these programs, and the shared building space, itself a nonprofit, saves each of the organizations 50% each month in rent compared to similar commercial medical office space.
Vintners Proud to Sponsor
Napa Valley Vintners takes pride in its ability to give back to the community by contributing to the health and well-being of the county’s residents. The Joseph Phelps Vineyards Family chaired Auction Napa Valley 2007, and as Bill Phelps said, “This event brings out the best in all of us, and it takes the work of the entire community to put on this Auction. I would like to thank again, the over 900 volunteers from all over the valley. The hospitality provided to our bidders makes them happy to return each year, and this year was spectacular.”
The Heitz Wine Cellars Family will chair Auction Napa Valley - The American Wine Classic, June 5-8, 2008. Learn more about the event and how to become a volunteer.
Napa Neighbor – wine discount program for locals only
Looking for something to do with visiting friends and family during the holiday season? Need to find a last minute, and interesting, gift for that colleague or friend? Need a break from your busy schedule but don’t have a lot of time? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions then NVV’s Napa Neighbor is for you. Members of the NVV extend a special invitation to Napa County neighbors to experience the best that Napa Valley wineries have to offer. Through the Napa Neighbor program, residents can enjoy discounts, private tours and complimentary wine tasting as well as the opportunity to share some of our warm local hospitality. Simply show your driver’s license and enjoy a little extra-special treatment – just for living here. Click here to view a list of participating wineries and special offers.
About the NVV
Now in our seventh decade, the Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) non-profit trade association is the sole organization responsible for promoting and protecting the Napa Valley Appellation as a winegrowing region second to none in the world. Respect for our history reinforces our commitment to the preservation and enhancement of the Valley’s land, wine, and community for future generations. We address the shared interests of our more than 300 member wineries and aspire to be the essential organization for all Napa Valley vintners.
Please feel free to forward this newsletter. A free subscription form and more about NVV activities and wine industry news and topics of interest can be found at www.napavintners.com.
Next issue: Winter 2008
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