TASTY TARTS
Pair these with a sparkling white or rose wine
As we head for June, British Columbia grape growers are preparing for one of many annual vineyard events that keep them awake at night.
After surviving the winter, and early spring frosts, their grapevines are sprawling across the post and wires that define vineyard rows and are about ready to determine the size of the 2018 crop in what is known as “the flowering and the set.”
The date of flowering is never the same year to year but is thought to be between 40 to 80 days after bud break, with temperatures in the range of 15-20°C or warmer. In parts of California it occurs in early May, while in B.C. in cool years flowering can drag out to the end of June and into early July.
That said worldwide climate change has helped to accelerate flowering as average spring temperatures climb, but nothing is guaranteed.
Flowering grapevines is a bit of a misnomer in that vineyard flowers are nothing like say the spectacular show put on by a cherry tree. When grapevines flower it’s done discreetly. You have to get up close to see any flowers and even then you have to look twice. At the start of flowering the vine reveals a tightly closed cap of petals known as the calyptra. Once the cap is shed the pollen is free to do its work.
Vitis vinifera vines are hermaphroditic and as such are more likely to self-pollinate to produce the grapes required. In this case neither the wind nor insects play an important part in the pollination of vines.
Over the centuries there have been cases of cross-pollination between vines of different varieties — Cabernet Sauvignon is a result of a cross of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc — but in most cases the vine is efficient at self pollination.
What keeps growers up at night during flowering is excessive wind and rain as one of these, or worse both at the same time, can have a huge affect on the eventual size of the crop. It’s the fertilization that determines the fruit set on every bunch. Healthy fertilization allows the flower to develop a seed and grape berry to protect the seed. Not every flower on the vine gets fertilized, the average is around 30 to 35 per cent.
Vine health also plays a key role in flowering, which no doubt has inspired many growers to pursue organic and biodynamic farming methods to better prepare their vines to fight off an army of vineyard problems that prey upon weak or sick vines, and eventually the amount flowers that will be fertilized.
In the end, the final set and the size of the berries goes a long way to determining the size of the year’s crop. Mother Nature has a way of self-regulating the crop size through disease and weather sometimes to the detriment of the balance sheet and other
times to the advantage of grower and the consumer. The home run crop is both high quality and plentiful. It may not occur very often but when it does growers are ecstatic.
British Columbia growers have been on a fantastic run of vintages since 2012, and while all good things must come to an end, many are optimistic that 2018 will be equally as rich in size and
quality as they await the bulk of flowering.
The size of the B.C. crop is going to be closely watched by all in the business given the drastic shortage of grapes now available in the open market. Free market prices for grapes are rocketing up and, worse, there are very few grapes for sale, especially those destined for high quality wine. Recent winery sales have been
more about buying grapes than the winery, a sure sign the shortage is real.
The already high price of B.C. wine is going to go up before it goes down in what will be a classic demonstration of supply not meeting demand. Our only defence is a series of calm, warm days to promote a perfect flowering and a large set. Don’t hold your breath.