Near-normal California grape season contrasts with 2004 conditions
Near-normal California grape season contrasts with 2004 conditions
As the 2005 fresh grape harvest gets underway in California's San Joaquin Valley, there are some striking differences between the current season and the 2004 season.
Most notable is that last year was one of the earliest harvests on record, district by district and variety by variety. The first harvest on many vineyards in 2004 came two to three weeks earlier than normal, and some growers said that it was the earliest start they remember.
By contrast, this year's harvest is starting within a few days of normal. Most growers The Produce News talked with said that their starting dates were actually three to five days later than average, but that is considered within the normal range, unlike last year, which was exceptionally early.
Another difference is crop size. The California Table Grape Commission is estimating the 2005 harvest to be 92 million boxes, which would make it the largest crop since the 96 million-box crop of 2002. Last year's harvest was a moderate 88 million boxes, and the prior year was significantly lighter with less than 78 million boxes shipped.
Opinions vary on whether the 94 million-box estimate is on target, as guesses range from 85 million boxes to nearly 100 million boxes.
Many Flame vineyards in the Arvin district, and to some extent farther up the valley, are exhibiting a somewhat smaller berry size on Flame seedless grapes than growers said they would like to see. Some California vineyards even in Arvin are showing normal sizing, however, and the problem with small sizes is expected to diminish as the harvest moves northward and the season rolls along.
Interestingly, the size issue appears to be limited to Flames, as growers said they see very good sizing on other varieties.
The Coachella district, which ships mainly in May and June, accounts for roughly 9 percent of the state's total table grape volume. The rest of the grapes are from the Arvin/Edison district at the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley to Madera, just north of Fresno in the central part of the valley.
The Delano district in northern Kern County is the largest producing district, representing close to 40 percent of the state's fresh grape volume. Arvin/Edison follows with close to 30 percent.
Typical start dates for Flames and Perlettes from Arvin were around July 4 or 5, with some starting a day or two earlier. Many Arvin growers expected to begin harvesting Thompsons about July 18.
"The season has started [in Arvin], and timing is about average," said Mike Binn of Columbine Vineyards in Delano on July 5. "Our Flames are normal sizing. We started yesterday. We've got mostly thirteen-sixteenths-of-an-inch berries. I have heard of some problems with sizing on Flames, but ours are pretty good.
In spite of a cool, wet spring, "since grapes really started growing, we have had outstanding weather, Mr. Binn continued. "It has been warm but not hot, and it has been very dry out here. This is perfect grape-growing weather. The crop looks outstanding right now.
It is "a large crop, he said. "How big, nobody really knows. Every variety is making a good crop.
"We're going to start tomorrow with Flames, John Zaninovich of Vincent B. Zaninovich & Sons in Delano said July 5. Thompson seedless were projected to start two weeks later. "This year seems to be normal timing for us, he said.
The Flames are "small, but they are still a good Flame, Mr. Zaninovich continued. "Last year spoiled us.
At Jasmine Vineyards, also in Delano, Jon Zaninovich said that the "Flames coming out of Arvin right now are nice full color with good sugar. There were still some grapes coming out of Mexico and Coachella, but they were "mostly white [a.k.a. green] grapes and some Red Globes, he said. The transition to the San Joaquin Valley from the desert appeared to be orderly, he added. Even after the Fourth of July pull, "there still seems to be some interest in grapes, especially reds.
"My Arvin crop is set normal to heavy, said Shaun Ricks of Pacific International Marketing in Visalia, CA. "Color is excellent on Flames, and as of July 1, sugar was "coming on pretty well, he said. "Size is a little disappointing this year. Throughout the valley, he expects Flame sizing to be smaller than last year, but "last year was vintage for fresh Flames in terms of size, quality, color and how they harvested.
Perlettes, on the other hand, have good size, he said. "As we move north, I see less of a problem with berry size [on Flames], Mr. Ricks continued.
He said that he does not expect the commission's 94 million-box crop estimate to be realized. One reason is the smaller berry size on the Flames. Another is because mildew problems due to the wet weather earlier in the season may reduce packouts, particularly on green grapes.
"Right now you are seeing a little bit smaller sizing [on Flames] than we anticipated, said Mario Macias of Mario Macias Co. in Bakersfield, CA. But Thompsons and other green varieties are "sizing up really well, he said.
He, too, expected to see some reduction in the number of packages packed because "there is a little bit of mildew out there causing staining on some of the green grapes.
Some of the early flames were running ten-sixteenths to eleven-sixteenths inches in diameter, according to Atomic Torosian of Crown Jewels Marketing in Fresno. Typically, retailers specify that they need fruit at least twelve-sixteenths, he said.
"We are expecting to start Flames in the Fresno area on July 5, he said. "Our early crops look very nice and have good size. I think we are going to be mostly twelve-sixteenths and larger.
Pandol & Sons' early Flames in Arvin were running "about a ring size down, averaging eleven-sixteenths to thirteen-sixteenths, said the company's Andrew Pandol. But it is "a mixed bag, added Pandol & Sons' Matt Pandol Jr. In both Arvin and Delano, "we have some stuff that is almost as good as last year's. I understand some other people do, too.
On most varieties, however, "from what I see, the size is exceptional.
(A full report on California grapes appears in the July 18 issue of The Produce News.)
Most notable is that last year was one of the earliest harvests on record, district by district and variety by variety. The first harvest on many vineyards in 2004 came two to three weeks earlier than normal, and some growers said that it was the earliest start they remember.
By contrast, this year's harvest is starting within a few days of normal. Most growers The Produce News talked with said that their starting dates were actually three to five days later than average, but that is considered within the normal range, unlike last year, which was exceptionally early.
Another difference is crop size. The California Table Grape Commission is estimating the 2005 harvest to be 92 million boxes, which would make it the largest crop since the 96 million-box crop of 2002. Last year's harvest was a moderate 88 million boxes, and the prior year was significantly lighter with less than 78 million boxes shipped.
Opinions vary on whether the 94 million-box estimate is on target, as guesses range from 85 million boxes to nearly 100 million boxes.
Many Flame vineyards in the Arvin district, and to some extent farther up the valley, are exhibiting a somewhat smaller berry size on Flame seedless grapes than growers said they would like to see. Some California vineyards even in Arvin are showing normal sizing, however, and the problem with small sizes is expected to diminish as the harvest moves northward and the season rolls along.
Interestingly, the size issue appears to be limited to Flames, as growers said they see very good sizing on other varieties.
The Coachella district, which ships mainly in May and June, accounts for roughly 9 percent of the state's total table grape volume. The rest of the grapes are from the Arvin/Edison district at the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley to Madera, just north of Fresno in the central part of the valley.
The Delano district in northern Kern County is the largest producing district, representing close to 40 percent of the state's fresh grape volume. Arvin/Edison follows with close to 30 percent.
Typical start dates for Flames and Perlettes from Arvin were around July 4 or 5, with some starting a day or two earlier. Many Arvin growers expected to begin harvesting Thompsons about July 18.
"The season has started [in Arvin], and timing is about average," said Mike Binn of Columbine Vineyards in Delano on July 5. "Our Flames are normal sizing. We started yesterday. We've got mostly thirteen-sixteenths-of-an-inch berries. I have heard of some problems with sizing on Flames, but ours are pretty good.
In spite of a cool, wet spring, "since grapes really started growing, we have had outstanding weather, Mr. Binn continued. "It has been warm but not hot, and it has been very dry out here. This is perfect grape-growing weather. The crop looks outstanding right now.
It is "a large crop, he said. "How big, nobody really knows. Every variety is making a good crop.
"We're going to start tomorrow with Flames, John Zaninovich of Vincent B. Zaninovich & Sons in Delano said July 5. Thompson seedless were projected to start two weeks later. "This year seems to be normal timing for us, he said.
The Flames are "small, but they are still a good Flame, Mr. Zaninovich continued. "Last year spoiled us.
At Jasmine Vineyards, also in Delano, Jon Zaninovich said that the "Flames coming out of Arvin right now are nice full color with good sugar. There were still some grapes coming out of Mexico and Coachella, but they were "mostly white [a.k.a. green] grapes and some Red Globes, he said. The transition to the San Joaquin Valley from the desert appeared to be orderly, he added. Even after the Fourth of July pull, "there still seems to be some interest in grapes, especially reds.
"My Arvin crop is set normal to heavy, said Shaun Ricks of Pacific International Marketing in Visalia, CA. "Color is excellent on Flames, and as of July 1, sugar was "coming on pretty well, he said. "Size is a little disappointing this year. Throughout the valley, he expects Flame sizing to be smaller than last year, but "last year was vintage for fresh Flames in terms of size, quality, color and how they harvested.
Perlettes, on the other hand, have good size, he said. "As we move north, I see less of a problem with berry size [on Flames], Mr. Ricks continued.
He said that he does not expect the commission's 94 million-box crop estimate to be realized. One reason is the smaller berry size on the Flames. Another is because mildew problems due to the wet weather earlier in the season may reduce packouts, particularly on green grapes.
"Right now you are seeing a little bit smaller sizing [on Flames] than we anticipated, said Mario Macias of Mario Macias Co. in Bakersfield, CA. But Thompsons and other green varieties are "sizing up really well, he said.
He, too, expected to see some reduction in the number of packages packed because "there is a little bit of mildew out there causing staining on some of the green grapes.
Some of the early flames were running ten-sixteenths to eleven-sixteenths inches in diameter, according to Atomic Torosian of Crown Jewels Marketing in Fresno. Typically, retailers specify that they need fruit at least twelve-sixteenths, he said.
"We are expecting to start Flames in the Fresno area on July 5, he said. "Our early crops look very nice and have good size. I think we are going to be mostly twelve-sixteenths and larger.
Pandol & Sons' early Flames in Arvin were running "about a ring size down, averaging eleven-sixteenths to thirteen-sixteenths, said the company's Andrew Pandol. But it is "a mixed bag, added Pandol & Sons' Matt Pandol Jr. In both Arvin and Delano, "we have some stuff that is almost as good as last year's. I understand some other people do, too.
On most varieties, however, "from what I see, the size is exceptional.
(A full report on California grapes appears in the July 18 issue of The Produce News.)
