SLO County wine harvest launches amid heat wave
During a year of many surprises and upheavals, the 2020 San Luis Obispo County wine harvest is one thing that remains right on track, according to wine experts.
Mike Dawson of Solterra Strategies, a wine and tourism marketing firm, said that winemakers traditionally begin harvesting grapes around Labor Day.
“A lot of our local wineries have already begun picking and they’ll really get going next week,” Dawson said. “So, this year looks like a very traditional wine harvest. It looks more like a traditional year.”
Anthony Yount, winemaker of Denner Vineyards, said workers at the Paso Robles winery have been picking grapes during the early morning hours this week, starting at 4 a.m., following by processing.
Yount said that he expects a strong harvest year with a productive yield, but will have to see how the season plays out.
“I’m forever the optimist,” Yount said. “It’s shaping up great with a long way to go, with a slightly above average to average with yield. We’re hoping for 10 to 12 weeks of crop load instead of six or eight.”
Kevin Jussila, owner and winemaker of Kukkula winery in Paso Robles, said that he’s pleased with the acidity levels of this year’s fruit.
“I picked expecting a point or two higher” in brix, or, sugar levels that determine alcohol, Jussila said. “It came in lower, but tasted beautifully.”
Jussila said a statewide heat wave forecast to hit San Luis Obispo County during Labor Day weekend will might move the brix two points in a two- or three-day period. High temperatures are expected to soar above 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
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