We have covered the water conditions in California and other parts of the west from time to time over the past couple of years as so much attention has been focused on the “drought” in California. Wine consumers have been concerned and curious about how the wine grape crop in the appellations of the Western US have fared with all the dire stories of water shortages primarily across California.

A few facts remain true. Foremost among them California grape growers and winery owners are adept at handling the wide swings in rain fall in the Golden State. In short, this is not their first rodeo. The frequent swings between not enough and way too much water have been going on in California long before the birth of the wine industry there and ever since its nascency. Early on growers and winemakers alike figured out they need to closely monitor their water use, do the best to recycle the water that they can, and conserve whenever possible. It is part of being in the wine business there, and all are very good at it.

Also true over the last several years at least as far as “wine country” goes the drought is not nearly as tough as what has been portrayed in the press. This is one of the major benefits from our time spent working in wineries in California. We not only saw firsthand all that went into water use but we also have maintained contact with our close friends and colleagues from our time there. An email or phone call now and we get “intel” on everything from amounts of rainfall but also quality of vintages and bright spots and road mines in every good and bad year there. It makes us so much better at bringing to wine consumers the very best bottles, knowledge you will never find at a grocery store. Every one of our friends over these “drought stricken” years has consistently said that they received enough rain at just the right time to fill the reservoirs and make for a good and in some years great crop.

Finally ask any winemaker or grower and every one of them will tell you they would prefer a long warm and dry growing season to a wet one.

….And then we have this winter season of 2016 and 2017. Everyone we have checked with has said “OK, enough already.” As tired as we are of the long harsh winter here in North Idaho, the same is true across California and even the wine regions of Washington and Oregon. It is time to turn of the spigot. We have received a photo from more than one of our friends in Northern California of a TV news reporter standing in the middle of a vineyard in St. Helena in the heart of Napa Valley in boots with water up to his knees. The snowpack in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, which is far more important to non wine grape farmers in the Central Valley than it is to folks in wine country, is well over twice the norm.

No damage is expected to the grape crop though as the vines have been dormant through most of the “drought busting” rains so far. While making appointments for several groups traveling to Napa over the last week we have heard too that the weather is indeed breaking. Reservations at “by appointment only” tasting rooms are hard to come by as visitors have flooded back to wine country as the weather dries and warms. Assuming the weather pattern holds with little or no rain from here on out and the start of the 2017 vintage should be a good one.

Over the next couple of months though is when some risk does exist for the grape crop if the rain continues. The biggest one being shatter. This is the breaking up of the “set” of the grapes during bud break and flowering as the tender new bundles of grapes are broken apart by heavy rain. Flooding of vineyards is also damaging once the vines awake from their winter dormancy. Too much rain can cause the vines to rot or to develop too much fruit diminishing the quality.

For now though all looks good, the rain can shut off, the reservoirs are full and the drought is indeed broken. Stop by the shop or send us an email with your questions on the start of the 2017 growing season or any other winery subject and we will be happy to get you first hand answers from our winery friends.

If there is a topic you would like to read about or if you have questions on wine, you can email George@thedinnerpartyshop.com, or make suggestions by contacting the Healthy Community section at the Coeur d’Alene Press.

•••

George Balling is co-owner (with his wife Mary Lancaster) of the dinner party, a wine and table top décor shop located by Costco in Coeur d’Alene. George worked as a judge in many wine competitions, and his articles are published around the country. You can learn more about the dinner party at www.thedinnerpartyshop.com. Be sure and check out our weekly blog at www.thedinnerpartyshop.com/home/blog-2. You can get all of these articles as well as other great wine tips by friending us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/#!/dinnerpartyshop