It buds early in the Spring, so it is particularly susceptible to damage from frost. Even healthy vines are not very productive, with small clusters, so there is a great temptation for growers to over-crop, which results in dilute, lightweight wine. The berries, with their thick and tough skins, can attain high sugar levels of amazing concentration. Alcohol levels, therefore, can get quite high in dry versions. Close monitoring and precise harvest timing are critical.
Pleasant results are nearly impossible in warm climates.
At the Colmar viticultural station in Alsace and at Geisenheim in Germany work is underway developing clones that bud and ripen later, produce larger fruit clusters, with more consistent and greater production levels and that are virus-free. There is a slight tendency to bitterness that seems exacerbated by ripeness, so a light touch is needed at the wine press. Thomas Fogarty makes an excellent dry style from Monterey County grapes. All rights reserved.