From vines to wines

HURRY UP AND WAIT” AND “QUALITY over quantity” best described described this year’s wine harvest in the Sierra foothills.

A wet spring and cool summer slowed down the harvest to well beyond September for many wineries—one of the latest in memory. “In agriculture, you take it as it comes,” says Lynn Wilson, co-owner and winemaker at Pilot Peak Winery in Penn Valley.

A late May frost also reduced the harvest for some winemakers, adds Christine Smith of Smith Vineyard in Grass Valley.

But for us wine drinkers — you know, the ones that count — there was a bright spot to what Mother Nature wrought on the wineries: The longer hang-time was good for the complexity of the fruit.

“The quality is going to be very good,” says Mike Naggiar, owner of Naggiar Vineyards in Grass Valley.

Winemakers in Placer County agree. “We’re very happy with the quality of the fruit,” says Stewart Perry, president of the Placer County Vintners Association.

Mother Nature’s unpredictable weather could be a blessing in disguise: With the sluggish economy, you’re better off with good quality wines and a smaller grape crop than the opposite.

Last year California’s harvest was the second largest in history, right in the middle of a recession. The price fetched for wine grapes was down as a result.

California vintners shipped 197 million cases of wine last year, up modestly from the previous year. The estimated retail value of sales was $17.9 billion, down 3 percent.

In the foothills, winemakers remain bullish despite the economic slump. Some examples:

• Sierra Starr Vineyard is upgrading and quadrupling their wine-making space at their Grass Valley winery.
They’re also planning to buy more acreage. It comes after the winery just opened a larger tasting room downtown.

• Clavey Wines expects to open a tasting room in downtown Nevada City by the end of November on South Pine. The small family owned winery is located outside of Grass Valley, specializing in Syrah, Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon.

• Pilot Peak, Solune and Bent Metal wineries, among others, have started to pour their wines at more Sacramento events to reach wine lovers there. Pilot Peak recently was featured on a cable television show—On the Road with Austin & Santino—with 1.2 million viewers, a coup for foothill wines.