1998

HARVEST: To say that this was a difficult vintage is an understatement. The winter of 1997-1998 was one of the four wettest years on record. The month of May was the coldest on record, with average daily high temperatures nine degrees below normal. El Niño brought rains lasting into June. Bloom continued into the early part of July and then a few heat waves (one as high as 115 degrees F) damaged some fruit. Low temperatures during bloom resulted in reduced berry set. Fewer and smaller clusters resulted in reduced yields. Late September brought rain and despair was widespread. Many picked under ripe fruit just to get things moving. But as is often the case in farming, patience paid dividends. On October 3^rd the sun came out and for one month we had a beautiful Indian summer. Beer of choice: Hard core rich stuff like malts and ales with lots of kick.

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