The local area has less agriculture affected by the drought than California’s Central Valley, but the dry conditions are still a big concern to the grape growers of the Santa Monica Mountains.

As the drought continues, the stress upon the wine grape increases. This year’s record drought will significantly affect next year’s harvest, wine experts say.

“There will be greater uncertainty this year, and chances are increased that there will be a lighter crop,” said agricultural consultant Bob Tobias of Tobias & Son.

Although the low water conditions are leading to lighter crops, Tobias said, he is hoping for grapes that will produce “more intense flavors” when made into wine.

In short, a little drought is good for the vineyards, but not the kind of drought we’ve been experiencing.

This season’s only appreciable rain, which fell in late February and early March, produced almost 6 inches in some areas. The rain’s brief intensity caused oversaturation and erosion in some local soils and prevented it from capturing and retaining the moisture.

But grape growers were pleased that the heavy rain washed away much of the salts left in the soil from previous years’ irrigation.

Paso Robles grape grower and winemaker Tom Bear is taking a wait-and-see approach.

“We will be managing for a regular protected crop,” Bear said. “The idea here will be to manage as you go, not deviating far from normal vineyard management practices.”

The availability of well water will also determine what the crop size will be during this year’s growing season. Many of Malibu Coast’s vineyards are dependent on wells for their irrigation. This year the heavy but infrequent rain hasn’t been enough to replenish the wells.

The drought, meanwhile, has led to an early bloom.

In some vineyards the growers saw their first bud break in mid- February; the event normally occurs in April. Vines that bud early are susceptible to late winter, early spring frost.

Tobias said the uneven bud break might lead to uneven fruit ripening.

“If temperatures do not get cold enough the dormancy time is compromised, reflecting in the growth cycle of the vines,” he said. “We do know that vines will produce a better quality grape if stressed a little by lack of water, but the trick is to closely manage the vineyard, which could mean smaller crops but a more quality wine.”

Every year the weather seems to throw farmers a curve. This year’s drought is forcing grape growers to micromanage their vineyards like never before.

Crush time

Grapes are very fragile they can burn, shatter, develop and mold. Cultivating the plant is like tending to children: It takes a hands on approach with flexibility and foresight required.

From March through November the work in the field is intense.

As soon as the grape buds appear on the vines they are closely monitored up until harvest time, usually between September and November.

During harvest the grapes are picked in the early morning. The cooler the air temperature, the better the grape skins will hold together. The fruit is then rushed to the winery.

It is at this point in the season that it is not unheard of for winemakers to put in consecutive 14 hour days, beginning before dawn when that first container arrives.

At the winery the fruit is sorted, crushed and pressed. Depending on the varietal the fermenting process can be as short as 24 hours for whites or roses or as long as a week for reds.

The grapes are then transferred into barrels or stainless drums for the remaining maturation until bottling. Close attention is paid to the wine during the eight months before bottling. The product is monitored for chemical balance and tasted regularly to check development of the wine’s flavors.

The wine is bottled and kept an additional eight to 12 months and then shipped for storage or sold for distribution. Some wines are better if opened at a young age, such as France’s well-known Beaujolais; others reach their peak when held for 10 to 14 years after bottling.

Despite all of the hours that go into vineyard management, it is the harvest that tends to be the most crucial time in the cycle of life.

A wine is only as good as the grapes that it comes from, and the grapes are always at the mercy of Mother Nature.

Source - http://www.toacorn.com/