San Joaquin County

Wines & Vines, Feb, 1991 by Paul S. Verdegaal

The continued slide of Zinfandel prices quickly brought local expectations to a familiar point of normalcy. Yields were down on most varieties 10-15% and even by as much as 30-50% in some vineyards and some varieties. Prices generally reflected a less aggressive effort by grape buyers to make purchases.

The oversupply of Zinfandel generally led grape pricing down as fast as it had led upward just two years ago, from $900 to $1,000 per ton in 1988 to $100 to $350 per ton in 1990. Most traditional varieties of the area were in less demand such as Carignane, Chenin blanc, and Burger. Varieties newer to the area, such as Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, were only slightly down or stable in price as statewide demand remained fairly stable. Most of the acreage in these varieties is still young or nonbearing. Additional varieties that held fairly steady included Petite Sirah and Grenache. This is due mainly to the fact that in recent years most of the acreage in these varieties has declined and consists of older vineyards, keeping supply even or below current demand.

The growing season started off dry and warm as we entered a fourth year of drought. Soil conditions were extremely dry and there was much concern over the possible effects on vine growth. The last time there were more than two consecutively dry seasons was during the period of 1928-34. A late May rain of 2 1/2-3 inches helped reduce any severe effects from the four years of dry winters. The rain basically served as a natural and well-timed irrigation. There were some problems with unanticipated wet fields, and bloom-set of later varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon was affected negatively. The remainder of the year was warm but relatively mild with a few days reaching 100 degrees. Unfortunately, these few days severely burned Tokays and may have contributed to sunburn or weakened berries in other varieties that became susceptible to bunch rot later in the season. Berry size was also probably reduced in part to these hot spells.

Disease pressure was not severe, but there were minor problems with powdery mildew in susceptible varieties such as Chardonnay and Carignane. Prior to harvest there were more than average problems with sour rot, possibly caused by environmental stresses. Normally, Botrytis bunch rot is more of a concern in the San Joaquin County area, particularly in Lodi. Whether the sour rot problem was due to the May rain, heat stress, drought stress, increased omnivorous leaf roller (OLR) damage or a combination of these factors is still unclear.

Leafhopper problems were not severe and variegated leafhopper (VLH) has not caused any additional economic burden. VLH has replaced grape leafhopper as the dominant species as it continues to establish itself here. After four dry years, spider mite problems were severe in some cases with problems appearing as the soil dried and temperatures increased during the latter part of June. This was evident on several varieties, but especially Zinfandel. There was concern initially that OLR problems would be excessive due to the buyer restrictions on cryolite use. Since cryolite (sodium fluoaluminate) contains fluorides, some wineries banned their use by growers. For the most part growers did find acceptable but more expensive materials as alternative controls.

Harvest began about normal in comparison to the long-term average. White Zinfandel began delivery in late August and by the first week of September picking began in many early varieties. Although harvest was on time or even slightly delayed, sugars were often high, possibly due to dry soil conditions and lower crop yields. Most varieties and sites were down 10-15 % across the area with some vineyards down 30 to 50 % from expected yields. Smaller berries and unfilled clusters were two major factors.

Quality was good to very good in most cases, but not outstanding and scattered rot problems were more than expected. This probably was more evident as demand was down and grape buyers more selective.

Flame Tokay acreage continues to decline: less demand. There were some economic incentives offered by some grape buyers to remove older vineyards and to replant with new varieties. There was minimal grafting. Very few new contracts were discussed prior to the November elections possibly due to concern about future taxes and farming restrictions that were on the ballot. This may change slightly, but the window of opportunity is somewhat closed with concern about future wine demand and increasing supplies as the bearing acreage increases in varieties such as Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Overall it was a fair season for local growers, although prices were drastically down for some varieties, Zinfandel being the unfortunate leader. The general feeling of the local industry is one mixed with concern and hope. Growers and vintners see increased respect for many varieties in the area by outside buyers and consumers. Slowly, San Joaquin County and the Lodi appellation (sometimes referred to as Woodbridge-Lodi) are receiving more attention for admittedly very good to excellent quality fruit, and reasonable production costs. However, the region is still fighting the old perception as a valley area." There are many economic and social concerns, but local growers and producers believe recognition will come as more people learn to drink the wine instead of the label.