Weather is a great metaphor for life. Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s bad, and there’s nothing much you can do about it but carry an umbrella. – Terri Guillemts

Weather was the big story across the western states for the 2011 grape growing season. Our most southern vineyards, those in the Santa Maria area, seemed to be impacted the least. The Santa Maria fruit experienced a lighter yield due to a light set in fruit. The cold spring time temperatures did not allow the grapes’ bloom to get a good set. This lead to fewer and smaller bunches, producing the lower yields. Even though the quantity was down, the fruit quality remained high, with good flavor and color. Moving north to Paso Robles, the April frost event was a bit punishing. Some vineyards in the area experienced a 90% crop loss. Our Zinfandel vineyard had a yield of 1.75 tons on 9 acres. The Monterey vineyards also had challenges, perhaps the most difficult. The yields were down significantly, and as a result, fruit distribution was significantly less than expected.

What does this all mean for CRŪ Wine Company? We had planned on more growth over our 2010 production but that will just have to wait; besides it’s always about the quality of the wine first and the 2011 vintage produced flavors that are on course with prior vintages… so we’re excited! This is one of the beauties of wine making and Mother Nature. No two years are the exact same. This is the foundation of CRŪ, growth place. The vineyard should show in the bottle with all subtle differences produced from soils, climate, and viticulture practices.

Ken Post

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