Oregon wine vintage at a glance: 2018 North Willamette Valley [infographic]
To better understand the growing season in a particular area, I’m creating simple infographics for specific years. These easy-to-read charts show the high and low temperatures during the growing season, as well as events that may have affected the grapes during different growth phases. All of these factors contribute to the vintage as a whole. Understanding what happened during the lifecycle of a grape can help you better select your next bottle of wine.
If you haven’t yet read the Winerabble Wine 101: Vintage at a glance infographics article, I encourage you to do so. In it, I explain some foundational basics, including the different grape growing phases and what can affect them, both positively and negatively.
Some call 2018 the Goldilocks year– it wasn’t too cold, it wasn’t too hot… it was just right, temperature-rise. The growing wine grapes thrived in the consistent, warm daytime temperatures, devoid of any heat spikes. According to weather records, it was the eighth warmest year in Oregon’s history.
Phase one: Bud break
A mild winter lead into a growing season that kicked off a wee bit later than usual due to a cool spring with some mild frost events in the weeks prior to bud break. As the grapevines visibly awakened, delicate fuzzy leaves burst from the woody stalks. The temperate weather continued after bud break, ensuring the new leaves were not in danger as the plants raced toward their next phase, bloom. Generally speaking, the Willamette Valley can anticipate bloom to occur roughly 60 days after bud break. However, if the temperatures stay cool, bloom will be delayed until the weather warms up.
Phase two: Bloom
Spring was warm and dry, great conditions for bloom, when flowering grapevines to set their fruit for the growing season. In very cool years, such as 2010, bloom was delayed by about 40 days! With climate change progressing so rapidly, who knows if we’ll ever have a year like that again. Also in past years, rain has hindered flower set but that was not the case in 2018. Once bloom occurs, the countdown to harvest begins! Grape growers and winemakers can expect to harvest their ripe fruit from vineyards across the Willamette Valley approximately 100-110 days later.
Phase three: Ripening
The grape clusters ripened at a perfect pace during the warm, dry summer weather. Drought-like conditions eliminated any mildew concerns as the hard green berries ripened– and developed into proper wine grapes as the weeks progressed. While the days were hot, thankfully, there were no blistering heat events that might have stalled or halted the ripening process!
Phase four: Véraison
Due to continued dry, warm weather, the grapes ripened slightly faster than in previous years. Véraison (pronounced ver-AY-zhun) is an exciting time during the grape growing season! It’s when red grapes begin to change color and green grapes start to become more translucent. The grapevine plants literally shift from photosynthesis to energy consumption. As they go through this process, the grapes’ organic acidity levels decrease. Not only do the grapes change color but enlarge as natural sugar levels increase. They begin to emit aromatics that can attract birds, yellow jackets and other potential pests to the ripening grapes.
In some locations or during certain years, vineyard managers and grape growers must protect the grapes with bird netting. For example, the 2010 growing season was cold and started so late that by the time we reached véraison, the ripening wine grapes were easy pickings for hungry critters both large and small.
Phase five: Harvest
Dry conditions allowed for longer hang times and the ability to select harvest picks based on optimal ripeness rather than anticipated weather events. Smoke from wildfires in Southern Oregon drifted north prior to harvest but wasn’t concentrated enough to cause significant issues in the Willamette Valley. Each year, winemakers must juggle brix (sugar) levels with ripeness, flavors, acidity, picking crew availability, rain, frost… a whole array of different and changing variables while deciding when to harvest their fruit. Some vintages force winemakers to make decisions with hopes for the least-bad outcome and others ease leisurely into harvest time, like this year did.
Have you tried any 2018 wines from the Willamette Valley?
Do you like the vintage?
How was the weather where you lived that year?
Please share your thoughts in the comments below.
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About the Author: Michele Francisco
