Late Rains Cut Yield of NorCal Chardonnay

Late Rains Cut Yield of NorCal Chardonnay

May rainstorms stretching this late into the season hint at trouble, come harvest time. The grounds in many Napa Valley vineyards are still wet, causing vines to grow an inch a day. Usually, this would be good news, but not at this point in the season. “You want no rain, no wind, not too hot, not too cold,” Tom Davies, president of V. Sattui Winery, explained. “You want it just perfect.” Heavy rains interfere with self-pollinating vines like Chardonnay. Pollination interference means fewer flowers on the vine, which directly correlates to the number of grapes that appear. Few grapes means less wine produced. Davies assures wine consumers that “this [rain] doesn’t impact — at all — the quality. It’s just how much we’re going to get”. So, don’t worry too much. The wine from the region will be as high-quality as ever, there might just be fewer bottles of this vintage on the shelf.

May 20th 2019

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