Suppliers Guide
2013 Supplier Survey: On the Vineyard Side
DeWitt Garlock, a Napa Valley vineyard consultant for more than 20 years, gave us some additional insights on the health of the vineyard side of our industry in 2013.
Q: Is planting still proceeding at a brisk pace?
A: Speaking from what I have observed in the North Coast particularly the Napa Valley, replacement removals continue on an as needed basis where disease, old age, or misplaced variety are the primary motivations. Some smaller projects in the Napa Valley are new developments, but this acreage has been low for quite a few years because so much of the available acreage for new vineyard development has already been put into production. Statewide, vineyards in the Central Valley are being removed as the price for Thompson and other varieties has nosedived this year. The Central Coast is pretty robust with larger wineries and partnerships still buying properties and developing them into winegrape production.
Q: How is planting being affected by rootstock supply and clean-testing?
A: Most people I have talked to who are under directives at larger firms to plant vineyards are doing so, but not without regard or awareness of the risks because of latent diseases such as Leafroll, red blotch, young vine decline, etc. The benefits are assumed to be better than the risks, and if care is taken to procure the best materials from the nursery, even those same materials may eventually turn out to be diseased.
Q: Are there any particular disease/pest pressures in the fields in 2013?
A: In the north coast the disease pressure all season has been high but very few problems have turned up at harvest (so far) with the classics including mildew, botrytis, and late season pests. Leafroll symptoms are present of course, but with the early season even infected vineyards should ripen a well-balanced crop this year. Bunch stem necrosis is becoming a problem in some vineyards, particularly in Cabernet and some Merlot. How much more of a problem this syndrome will become is still unknown.
Q: What is your favorite/most useful piece of technology or machinery in the vineyards these days?
A: My iPhone: it is my GPS unit, camera, soils reference guide, insect and other pest and disease guide, communication device, and report generator all in a package the size of pack of cigarettes! Other than that, mechanical leafing is here to stay, as is machine harvesting with added capabilities of sorting and MOG removal.
Other current issues of high importance to Garlock include the need for continued research and development of protocols for the prevention of red blotch and other important grapevine viruses entering into the industry. And he says that continued research and development of salt, nematode and drought tolerant rootstocks is an equally high priority.
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Q: Is planting still proceeding at a brisk pace?
A: Speaking from what I have observed in the North Coast particularly the Napa Valley, replacement removals continue on an as needed basis where disease, old age, or misplaced variety are the primary motivations. Some smaller projects in the Napa Valley are new developments, but this acreage has been low for quite a few years because so much of the available acreage for new vineyard development has already been put into production. Statewide, vineyards in the Central Valley are being removed as the price for Thompson and other varieties has nosedived this year. The Central Coast is pretty robust with larger wineries and partnerships still buying properties and developing them into winegrape production.
Q: How is planting being affected by rootstock supply and clean-testing?
A: Most people I have talked to who are under directives at larger firms to plant vineyards are doing so, but not without regard or awareness of the risks because of latent diseases such as Leafroll, red blotch, young vine decline, etc. The benefits are assumed to be better than the risks, and if care is taken to procure the best materials from the nursery, even those same materials may eventually turn out to be diseased.
Q: Are there any particular disease/pest pressures in the fields in 2013?
A: In the north coast the disease pressure all season has been high but very few problems have turned up at harvest (so far) with the classics including mildew, botrytis, and late season pests. Leafroll symptoms are present of course, but with the early season even infected vineyards should ripen a well-balanced crop this year. Bunch stem necrosis is becoming a problem in some vineyards, particularly in Cabernet and some Merlot. How much more of a problem this syndrome will become is still unknown.
Q: What is your favorite/most useful piece of technology or machinery in the vineyards these days?
A: My iPhone: it is my GPS unit, camera, soils reference guide, insect and other pest and disease guide, communication device, and report generator all in a package the size of pack of cigarettes! Other than that, mechanical leafing is here to stay, as is machine harvesting with added capabilities of sorting and MOG removal.
Other current issues of high importance to Garlock include the need for continued research and development of protocols for the prevention of red blotch and other important grapevine viruses entering into the industry. And he says that continued research and development of salt, nematode and drought tolerant rootstocks is an equally high priority.
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