2010: August 2010 Archives

By Courtney Cochran

With smoke-tainted 2008 vintage wines in circulation now, Mendocino winegrowers no doubt are keen on a strong harvest this season. Still, this hardy group from one of Nor Cal's most northerly wine regions is all too familiar with the vagaries of inclement weather - not to mention so-called acts of god (hello, fires!) - which means they're used to holding their breaths come near-harvest-time.  

I caught up with standout Mendo vintner Paul Dolan of Paul Dolan Vineyards to get his take on what's in store for Mendo wines in 2010.

By Deirdre Bourdet

Despite the doom and gloom forecasts circulating about the 2010 vintage, the Napa Valley Grapegrowers think this year's cool summer doesn't necessarily mean disaster, or even a difficult vintage.  At an August 18th press conference held at Beckstoffer Vineyards' historic Georges III vineyard in Rutherford, the growers discussed their hopes and fears for the harvest this year.  The consensus: it's still too early to call.

Harvest dates vary depending on the grape varietal and location, but typically occur in mid-to-late October for red grapes like cabernet sauvignon.  With harvest still two and a half months away, no one knows how this vintage will turn out.  

By Courtney Cochran

Looking at the weather forecast for Napa and Sonoma, one might think we're approaching winter.  In fact, with crisp, overcast days the norm in Wine Country these past weeks, industry pundits are speculating as to whether 2010 will be the best or the worst harvest in years. Best because cool weather usually leads to slow, even ripening (which occurs in many "fringe" vineyards in Europe and Oregon), and worst because of the potential for early autumn rains that could ruin a crop left on the vine longer than usual to achieve ripeness.