Reports don't put the crop on the light side just yet, although in the end, we will probably be fooled again on crop size as we were in the other areas of the state. Many growers are continuing to drop crop in an effort to achieve quality. Like everywhere, the Chardonnay market is tough, but reds seem to be drawing sufficient interest. Crop sizes overall are thought to be close to average, except on Merlot which looks to be on the light side and Chardonnay which again is reported to be above average. Coloring in reds has begun and veraison in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay is common.
Many growers are now in the process of cluster thinning, doing their final adjustments to the crop.
Overall the fruit is reported as being clean and shaping up to be a good quality year. Most varieties are reported to look strong, being above average in size. 2001 - Frost damage in the Central Coast last month was very comparable to other areas of the state where some areas were hit hard with high loss percentage, and some were not even touched. The Chardonnay crop may have gotten hit the hardest, but nobody but the growers seem to mind in light of the abundance of Chardonnay in the state. The Central Coast has been fighting frost as well this week with the lower lying areas having been particularly vulnerable.