Harvest in Napa Valley arrived nearly a month earlier than usual this year, shaping up as one of the easiest in local growers’ memory. Yields are low, but producers are optimistic about quality.
The numbers from the field are striking. Growers in Chiles Valley and on Atlas Peak report yields up to fifty percent below the usual levels. The main cause is so called shatter, a condition in which vine flowers fail to develop into berries. It does not affect quality, but it does reduce the size of the crop.
Growers describe small clusters, tiny berries and healthy vines, a picture that usually points to concentrated wines. Chardonnay for sparkling wine was already picked on July 21st, remarkably early even by Californian standards.
For Napa, a smaller crop cuts both ways. After several years of oversupply, a lighter harvest eases the pressure on stock, but it also lowers income for growers who sell their grapes to wineries, making this year’s picture good news for prices and less so for those who live off the kilos.
