We are the largest and oldest family-owned shipper of California Wine Grapes to Commercial Wineries and to home wine makers in the entire Country. We deal through distributors and with customers directly. We personally handle the selection of vineyards throughout Northern California, hire mostly our own hand harvesting crews, store and ship from our own cold storage facilities. We also ship juice and finished wines. Last week we visited our source for Coastal Grapes. It is located 20 miles from the Pacific Ocean as the eagle flies. Even though we have been doing business with the owners for many years, it was the first time we visited the vineyard. We were so impressed with the size, location, uniformity, unique trellising system and most of all the dedication to the highest standard of viticulture. We now ship some of their Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinot Grigio to mostly wineries with amazing success. Their grapes mature several weeks later than our local grapes. It is very difficult at that time of year to ship to home winemakers except for early maturing grapes such as Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Grigio.
Matt and Mike at our Coastal Grower's Vineyard
PATIENCE, PATIENCE, AND EVEN MORE PATIENCE
It is around August 1 and there is only a small amount of veraison or color change in some of the early varieties and none in the later varieties. This puts us about three weeks later than normal in our harvesting plans. It will take another two weeks to be able to take some sugar readings and at least another 4 weeks for proper maturity. This lateness was due to the very wet, (a blessing) and very cool weather this spring. What we can gather all districts appear to have the same tardiness. The industry must have discipline to not pick immature grapes for the home winemaker. I am sure this will happen with some people. As an alternative the makers of home-made wine must be patient and delay their purchases to the later part of September or October. This is truly one of the latest projected harvests we have seen in our 55 years of business. For our winery customers we will advise everyone consistently as to the projected harvest dates. Usually, our winery customers want shipments later, so I don’t see a conflict at all. Also, there are some growers who are thinning their grapes to produce a lighter crop and therefore an earlier maturing crop. Of course, with a later harvest, we do have to worry that mother nature may play a factor, but that fear is always with us every year, just more so this year.
GOOD REWARDS
If everyone has Patience and more Patience, this can be very rewarding for all our customers. With the recent decline of case good sales of wine out of California, especially from the San Joaquin Valley, winery demand from these areas is almost nonexistent for uncontracted grapes. Grapes from the high-end appellations are not seeing this glut. Their prices seem to be stable. Some wineries in the valley do not want to harvest even the grapes they have contracted. The lawyers will be busy! With this very low demand prices will be substantially less for everyone. It will be an opportunity for all to make wines at prices not seen for a few years.
ACHEIVMENTS FROM OUR CUSTOMERS
On a recent vacation to Maine, we visited a winery that bought grapes from us. We discovered that their 2015 Pinot Noir from our supplier of Coastal wine grapes won an outstanding amount of gold medals, one was even from Paris. There was even a double gold medal. Their 2019 Teroldego from one of our local growers is starting to win awards. Another winery in Pennsylvania won three medals form the American Wine Society. Please report to us when your wines receive recognition. It gives a sense of accomplishment and pride.
GOOD ADVICE
There is a lot of news concerning the recent Dietary Guidelines issued from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources. They state that women are advised to drink ONE glass of wine or less and men two glasses or less daily. In an interesting Article in the recent Wall Street Journal On Wine by Lettie Teague, she finally asked the advise of her doctor in a checkup. He stated, “You can drink up to half a bottle of wine a day and be fine.”
