Rain, Rain, Go Away We Need the Sun to Stay!!
Just when we thought this roller coaster of unpredictable weather was finished, at least through harvest, Mother Nature decided to add an extra loop to the ride. At about mid-afternoon on Tuesday it started to rain and it wasn’t a mere drizzle. Due to slippery/muddy conditions in our vineyards we have been forced to put all picking on hold until the conditions improve. The rain is also not good for the ripening process and can potentially cause some serious problems. As Tom put it, “rain delays everything.”
At this point we have essentially picked all of our whites from the Paso Robles appellation and a handful of our reds. Early rains such as these we are experiencing now can potentially be very harmful to our remaining reds and whites, especially Zinfandel. What we are up against is a problem commonly referred to as “bunch rot” which is when moisture gathers in the grape clusters and allows molds and fungi to grow, essentially rotting the clusters or bunches. Zinfandel is particularly prone to this because Zinfandel grapes tend to grow in tight clusters and have a thinner skin than other reds such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot. For example, Cabernet and Merlot are not at too much of a risk due to smaller berries, thicker skin, and therefore looser clusters. If bunch rot does occur there really isn’t a whole lot we can do about it, especially in our organically grown vineyards such as Whale Rock. Warmer weather, however, can dry up the clusters and lower the risk potential drastically. According to Tom, it will take about five or six days before we will be able to assess the damage, if any. This is really another example of how much we are truly at the whims of Mother Nature, and all we can do is hope for the best while continuing to focus on the things we do have control of.
On a positive note, as I mentioned in my previous Blog, all of the grapes we have received thus far have been phenomenal. We have seen great flavors, great acidities, and really healthy fruit. We have been especially impressed with the low pH and moderate titratable acidities we have seen in our grapes. Titratable acidities or TA give us a snapshot of the major acids present in the juice and help us to determine if a wine is in balance or stylistically correct. Also, our Syrah and Petite Sirah look to be some of the best we have seen in recent years and that is saying a lot! All in all we remain positive here at Castoro and if everything goes the way the weatherman (or woman) says, we should be in the clear by tomorrow!
Happy October!!
Cheers,
Luke
