Grape Harvest Down Again, But Still Plenty of Wine

Harsh winters, late frosts, significant summer storms — if it’s not one thing, it’s another in the world of agriculture, and the world of wine is no exception. The result is a grape harvest over most of the region — and the state — that will be significantly below average this year.

“We lost 50 percent (from the harsh winter) for the second year in a row,” said Mark Johnson, winemaker at Chateau Chantal on Old Mission Peninsula. “Then, on May 20, we had a hard freeze and lost 50 percent more. On Aug. 2, the hail took half of what was left.”

For those of you scoring at home, that leaves approximately 12 percent this year. The story is much the same elsewhere.

“We will be harvesting about 10 to 15 percent of the volume compared to a normal year,” said Sam Simpson, owner and winemaker at Good Harbor Vineyards in Lake Leelanau.

How much below average the harvest will be depends on the individual vineyard and how it fared with the late May frosts and the August storm, but even the most optimistic predictions hover around 50 percent.

“It’s a challenge for wineries across the state,” said Paul Hamelin of Verterra Winery in Leland. “The last two winters have been two of the coldest on record. It’s actually killing some of the buds within the cane.”

Even so, it’s by no means a death knell for local wineries. Though last year also produced about half a normal harvest, the harvests of 2010–2013 yielded so much wine that vintners still have plenty on hand. As long as this coming winter doesn’t again feature record-setting cold, most believe the industry will weather the — well, weather.

“It’s not the first time we’ve had to deal with adverse conditions,” said Hamelin, noting the resilience of the wine industry.

“When you have a great year, you make as much as you can,” said Johnson. “We had excellent years in 2010, 11 and 12. We made enough to have a reserve. The bottom line is we have plenty of wine this year.”

According to the Michigan Wine and Grape Council, overall the state should have slightly higher production this year than last. While southwest Michigan also suffered through the last two winters, it didn’t suffer the late freezes and the hail and windstorm of August.

“We’re probably luckier than most. We’ll have about two-thirds of a regular harvest,” said Brian Lesperance of Fenn Valley Vineyards in Fennville, Mich., south of Holland.

To the north, the story is also different than in the Grand Traverse region. Chad Petzinger, winery and tasting room manager at Harbor Springs Vineyard and Winery at Pond Hill Farm north of Harbor Springs, said this year’s harvest will be the best yet for the winery.

“In 2013, our first year, we got a ton [of grapes]. In 2014, we got 3.5 tons. This year, we’ll get at least a ton of vignole and 5 or 6 tons of Marquette,” he said.

Petzinger said the farm’s altitude and location protected it from the worst of the winter and the late frost.

“We’re high enough we were getting a little warm breeze off Lake Michigan. We dodged a lot of bullets.”

Michigan ranks fifth in the nation in wine grape production, with 2,650 acres devoted to wine grapes. Winemaking continues to grow in the state and vineyard area has doubled over the last 10 years. The state’s 117 commercial wineries produce more than 1.4 million gallons of wine annually, placing Michigan 13th in the U.S. in wine production. The wine industry contributes $300 million to Michigan's economy every year.

Typically, the vast majority of wines come from grapes grown in the state. This year, that may not be the case, as a number of wineries are reaching out to grape producers outside Michigan for juice.

“This is the first time in five years” that Verterra has done so, said Hamelin.

Hamelin says he hopes to secure grapes from areas similar to Michigan.

“We like to get juice from cooler climates like Oregon or Washington, not California.”

As if trying to make amends, the unseasonably warm temperatures of the last few weeks have been a boon.

“The late summer weather has been very good,” said Lesperance.

“It’s been warm,” agreed Simpson. “I’m hopeful we can make some pretty good wine.”

Of course, this isn’t the first time weather has inflicted damage on the grape harvest and it won’t be the last.

“This is northern Michigan; we’re used to it,” said Hamelin.

Still, growers hope this coming winter will be an easier one. Some predictions call for an El Nino season, with a band of warm ocean water developing in the central and east-central equatorial Pacific to produce a winter that’s warmer and drier than average in the Northwest, northern Midwest and upper Northeast United States. That gives growers hope.

“Every time we get an El Nino, it’s an opportunity to have a very nice growing season,” said Lesperance.

“We hope for a better winter,” echoed Johnson.

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