The days of any shortages are over, according to expert industry sources. Vintners probably won't have to plant more acres or go overseas for more inventory. Unprecedented quantities were harvested in every region, with yields in the great San Joaquin Valley up an average of 5 to 15 percent with very good quality and sugars. Besides the yields, vast expansion in the number of new bearing winegrape acres was also a major reason for the huge harvest, but winegrowers statewide are mostly ecstatic about the quality. Rick Theis of the Sonoma County Grapegrowers Association added that California's rich soils and great weather allow vines to bear more with the help of new trellising systems that expand the vine's canopy and balance its vigor.
Yields can be slightly higher without affecting quality.
We're anticipating bold wines with intense flavors and good color. Warm spells dried the rains quickly and accelerated ripening, but cooler than normal temperatures earlier in the year extended the growing season and resulted in wines with deep concentrated flavors, he said. Winegrowers in the Sierra Foothills reported an abundance of Merlot and the harvest of many stylish Rhone and Italian varieties, which are growing in consumer appeal. The North Central Coast also harvested record yields with more color and flavor, said Paraiso Springs vineyard manager Jason Smith, president of the Monterey County Growers Association. It was an odd, strange year because there was little of the usual coastal fog and wind.