Vintners say growing season was perfect for grapes

That magical balance of sugars, acidity and “varietal character” that occurs when wine grapes ripen to perfection was right on the money in Michigan this year, reports the Kalamazoo Gazette.

“Those aspects of the flavor components of the grape that develop in different ways different years, those have been maximized,” said Tom Zabadal, Michigan State University viticuturalist and coordinator of the Southwest Michigan Research & Extension Center. “That’s why we call them vintages.

Excerpt:

“Last year was about the poorest year in memory, this is the best year,” Zabadal said. “This year is better than all (previous good years) combined.”

Bizarre weather set the stage. Unseasonably hot weather in early spring was followed by four hard frosts, a pattern that decimated juice grapes and many tree fruits. “My guess would be we have half a crop or less” of the varieties used to produce grape juice, said MSU Extension educator Mark Longstroth.

For information on what’s out there that could hurt the grapes, please read the rest of the story.

Source: Kalamazoo Gazette