We haven't started growing our grapes yet, but we are becoming very conscious of the growing season in our area. Last year, 2010 was a terrific year for the Northeast with sun, sun, sun and it is reflected in the vintage.
The word for this year is not so good. In fact, David Paige of Shinn Estates on Long Island writes:
"Nature has been particularly angry this growing season. May and June were both very wet causing some interruption in the early growth and flowering of our vines. We were encouraged by a warm and dry month of July, but the rain returned with a vengence in August. Severe thunderstorms, lightning, a hurricane followed by a tropical storm and more rain throughout September have kept us on edge - yet somehow our grape harvest has not been decimated. The sugar content in the grapes is lower than average, but flavors are good. We won't be able to fully evaluate the quality of the harvest until after all the grapes are picked and fermented, but this will certainly not be a repeat of the great 2010 vintage of last year."
The situation for the Finger Lakes is similar, as reported in an article in the New York Cork Report.
This is how I will remember 2011, a year that was wet and challenging for winegrowers and winemakers. How will the challenges of the growing season be reflected in the wine? It will be interesting to taste the wines from 2011.
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