We just finished harvesting our 2022 Pinot Noir. Despite a few setbacks during the growing season we have 302 lbs of grapes ready to process. Later today we will crush and destem them, get a good brix reading (sugar content) and test for pH and TA (titratable acidity) and adjust if necessary as well as add so2 to quiet any wild yeast and prevent oxidation as we freeze the must for the winter. – – sorry that was a long sentence!
1. Late onset powder mildew. We sprayed with fungicides early in the year but stopped too soon. The mildew wasn’t widespread and mostly affected the leaves and not the fruit
2. Attack of the Yellow Jackets. Something we haven’t seen before. Swarms of them sucking the juice right out of the Pinot.. Fortunately there were more grapes than Yellow Jackets.
3. Birds. We have bird netting and used it back in 2018 but since we never noticed a bird, we stopped using it. We probably only lost 5 lbs of grapes due to birds nibbling them. Next year we’ll net to avoid it all together.
C.R.A.P. Wine Cellars (Cheap Retired Airline Pilot) 