The Harvest

From the first moment that the vines bud out in May, vintners begin to plan for the harvest.

At the end of bloom in June, the first crop estimates are made. Although a large crop is desirable, in the case of fruit intended for premium wine, more is not better. Each vine has a limited capacity to ripen its crop, depending on the vigor of the vine, how it is trained, and the climate. If the grower decides that the vines are overburdened, whatever fruit has naturally been set may be thinned by cutting off and discarding the smallest clusters, or clusters on the weakest shoots, in order to concentrate the flavors and aromas of the remaining fruit.

This can be done at any time, but commonly occurs shortly after veraison, when the fruit changes color (from green to purple in red grapes, or green to yellow in white). Clusters that fail to turn color as quickly as most can be easily spotted and removed.

This year, veraison, which usually occurs during the first week of August, has been anywhere from 10 days to a month late, delayed by the excessive rain of June. Adding insult to injury, June and July were the coldest on record, never going over 90 degrees. For early-ripening varietals like pinot noir and chardonnay (those originating in Burgundy, a relatively cold region), a late veraison does not necessarily threaten the quality of the harvest, although it will probably alter the essential nature of the fruit, which will have ripened with fewer daylight hours and cooler nights than normal. This can be expected to result in higher acidity and less color than normal.

For late-ripening varietals, especially cabernet sauvignon, delayed veraison will put the potential ripening of the fruit up against the first hard frost. A light frost won’t rob the vines of their leaves; it usually settles on the ground below the leaf zone, and sugar accumulated in the vines also protects them by lowering their freezing point.

But several hours below 30 degrees will zap the leaves. No leaves: no photosynthesis. The fruit can sit out in the field, exposed for a few days without much harm, but it won’t gain in quality, and the vines’ sugar reserves, which are needed as anti-freeze during the winter, will be depleted.

What’s a vintner to do with fruit that’s under-ripe, when hang-time is no longer an option? For the vintage of 2009, all dreams of a great vintage have already been subjected to a reality check. Still, it’s not the end of the world. Less than perfectly ripe white grapes can be used to make a fresh, sprightly style of wine. As for the reds, they can always be used to make rosé.

As long as the fruit is not excessively “green,” or vegetal, the resulting wine will need less oak aging than a more full-bodied vintage, and can be sold earlier, so there can be economic benefits to making this lighter style. Nonetheless, winemakers hate being forced by nature to make a style of wine that doesn’t coincide with their visions. Sometimes they ignore the limitations of the season and push for something they’ll never get, instead of adapting to the vagaries of the season.

However the vintage of 2009 ends up, the good news is that the reds from 2007 are now coming onto the market, and they are fine indeed. 2007 was one of Long Island’s best years for wine grapes; a year in which the season evolved with sun and rain when they were needed, and not when they weren’t. The 2007 wines from Long Island’s top wineries will be investment-grade wines over time.

With such good wines on offer in the tasting rooms, it’s worth planning a day of tasting around the wineries of the Twin Forks. If it’s a festival you’re after, on Saturday, September 26, from noon to 6 p.m., Pindar Vineyards (www.Pindar.net) in Peconic will “Rock the 
Harvest” with a festival featuring six indie bands, including Big Suga, 
Kerry Kearney Band, The Nancy Atlas Project, Miles To Dayton, The High & Mighty Brass Band, and Big River Ransom.

Sponsored by radio station WEHM to benefit The Retreat Domestic Violence Services, this promises to be a fine afternoon of harvest celebration and revelry. Tickets are only $20 and include entertainment, your first glass of wine, and a souvenir logo glass.

Several wineries have events every weekend, ranging from cooking classes, hay rides and live jazz concerts to a Q&A with a winemaker. Details can be found on the Long Island Wine Council’s website, www.liwines.com.

At the newly renovated, beautifully landscaped Peconic Bay Winery (www.peconicbaywinery.com), visitors can sit in plush chairs on the deck or lawn to enjoy music while tasting flights of wines, paired, if you wish, with top-notch cheeses or sushi fresh from Braun Seafood next door. Now there’s a stress-free way to enjoy the harvest, without having to take on the grower’s angst about hang-time!