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August 28, 2013
Page 5
One term for the result of inconsistent
fruit set (or pollination) is “hens and
chicks” because of the large and small
sized berries that are produced in the
same cluster. Cute, you say? No, not re-
ally because such set affects the total
amount of fruit produced. This can be
costly to growers who sell their grapes
by the ton. And although winemakers
like smaller berries, because the skin to
juice ratio is higher, allowing for more
extraction of flavor and color, the phe-
nomenon can be somewhat problematic
if the berries mature at different times.
So why does inconsistent set happen?
There can be many reasons, including
weather conditions, pest or disease is-
sues, nutrient deficiencies, and inappro-
priate fertilizer or chemical applications.
However, the cause for the widespread
occurrence in the North Willamette Val-
ley this year is probably due to the mer-
curial weather we had in June, which
was either below or above norms, and as
a result the flowers didn’t do their work
consistently, no doubt given conflicting
signals by the periods of hotter and
cooler weather.
Since this means a lower yield will be
harvested this fall, one positive develop-
ment is that there will be little need to
thin crop as the season progresses. And
the higher juice to skin ratio should
mean more concentrated flavors in the
finished wine. Veraison, or color change,
is happening right now in the vineyard.
This is when the berries not only start to
change color, but also begin to soften.
Sugars and volume increase and acids
decrease. (It is interesting to note that
from a survival of the species point of
view, the berries were more acidic to this
point, deterring birds and other animals
from eating them. But now that the seeds
inside the berries are at the point of via-
bility, the sugars make the berries more
attractive, leading to some ingestion and
disbursal of the seeds.) In any case, the
consistency of this change will help
vineyard managers and winemakers de-
cide on a final crop thinning regimen,
and will give a bit more information
about what to expect at harvest. For ex-
ample, clusters typically double in
weight between the time of color change
and ultimate ripeness and harvest. With
grape development as much as two
weeks ahead of last year, there is cer-
tainly no sky falling and little or nothing
to squawk about.
Eye On The
VINE
Hens & Chicks
By
Reuel K. Fish
Bishop Creek Cellars
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