Harvest 2015 – A Year of Shortages, Passings, and New Beginnings
Friday, October 2, marked the end of the 2015 harvest at Occasio Winery. A harvest season that burst upon us in the early hours of August 18 now concludes with a satisfying and relaxed afternoon of cleaning and sanitizing the harvest equipment for the final time this year. Not quite time for celebration, as we have actively fermenting wines to care for, the end to harvest does provide a moments rest and chance to freflect on what, for us, has been both the earliest and quickest harvest ever.
All of our white wines, with the exception of our barrel fermented Chardonnay, are being made ready for bottling. Syrah, Malbec, and all of our Cabernets are now in barrel. And, by the end of the next week, only our Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot will remain in fermenters. This is quite a change from the 2011 harvest, when we were actively fermenting over Thanksgiving weekend!
Though the final chapter of the 2015 harvest won’t be written for several years, I do have a few thoughts about this past season. Livermore Valley, like much of the state, was affected by low yields caused by unseasonably cold weather during fruit set in May. The weather largely affected Cabernet and Merlot. Some vineyards reported grape yields reduced by as much as 50%. At Occasio, our yields were down as well, with the main impact being 20% lower yields on our Cabernet Sauvignon. Though quantity is down, quality is uniformly high, as the wines seem to be richly concentrated with flavor and color.
Near simultaneous harvests along with fires to our North, created a severe shortage of harvest labor. The smaller growers were particularly at risk of not finding crews to harvest their grapes. However, as in so many past times, the Valley rallied together to help mitigate the shortages by sharing crews and equipment.
This was a harvest marked by the passing of one of Livermore’s iconic winemakers. This was the first year I didn’t see Thomas Coyne, who would always pop by during harvest to offer news, help, and advice. There are few like him. He is missed.
Finally, with every passing there are new arrivals. A young generation of winemakers, like our very own Dave Hendrickson, is coming to the Valley, bringing fresh ideas and youthful energy with them. Winemaking in Livermore Valley is coming alive, and these new and highly skilled and passionate winemakers are the vanguard of a new Livermore. Deeply appreciative of our history and traditions, these new winemakers are ready to return us to the highest levels of wine quality.
Harvest 2015 is concluded. Let the excitement begin.
