Vintage 2015 – A Year of Unusual Weather Promises Concentrated Wines

This is the first year of a new program at Occasio Winery, where we begin intense management of small vineyard sites with the focus on the local soils, climates, and our winemaking styles. To keep you apprised of our progress, this month we begin vineyard updates intended to keep you informed about the 2015 vintage. Occasio viticulturist Stella Proukaki has been actively managing our vines since winter. Now, with bud break and fruit set in our rear view mirror, she is taking timeout to give us her first take on the season thus far:

Stella writes, “This winter was warm, with little rain after December. It was no surprise, then, that bud break was early. We were happy to see strong and healthy new growth after the winter’s dormancy. March gave way to a warm April, and the new shoots were growing fast. Growth moderated with unusually cool weather in May. This fact, along with some heavy rainfall in mid month, negatively affected fruit set, creating a condition known as coulure, or shatter. Impacted varieties included Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Zinfandel, while early ripening cultivars like Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Sauvignon Blanc fruited normally. As a result, we are expecting looser clusters and lower yields in our red wines this season.

The weather warmed up in June, and the vines are looking good with no signs of water stress. Our growers have balanced the needed irrigation with our effort to lower water usage as much as possible. Fruit clusters are developing, and berries are growing in size. We are pulling basal leaves and trimming back vine growth to balance the canopy to the expected fruit yield.”

Paraphrasing Stella, we can look for reduced yields and possibly smaller berry size this year. From a winemaking perspective, we will have to monitor the ripening process carefully to make sure that we maintain good acidity while ripening. Because of berry shatter, we will also have to monitor disease pressure closely to ward off any problems before they develop. If we maintain these efforts, I am confident that 2015 will be an excellent year for making wine.