Crews at Gouveia Vineyards in Wallingford were busy putting up nets around the white grapes to protect the crop from birds on Friday.
This annual chore is a sure sign the fruit is getting sweeter and harvest is right around the corner, however, it’s not happening as quickly this year as winemakers would like.
"We’re thinking about two weeks behind right now," said Maryann Houde, the winemaker and manager at Goeveia.
Below average temperatures and above average rainfall this summer have slowed down the growth of some grapes in Connecticut.
"Ideally, we usually harvest about the middle of September, the second week or so. We’re thinking about the fourth week this year," Houde explained.
She said they likely won’t be able to harvest red wine grapes until October, which introduces the fear of frost.
"If there’s a fear of frost then we’re frantically out here picking the grapes," said Houde.
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At Lockwood Farm in Hamden, the grapes are on schedule.
"They’re growing like crazy here," said Joan Bravo a research technician for the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station.
But, Bravo, who tends to the grape crop added, "We’ve had more disease this year than in the past."
She said they didn’t have to deal with diseases as much during last year’s drought.
Back at Gouveia, crews have been working diligently to check the leaves for the telltale signs of spotting and disease caused by the high humidity earlier this summer.
"We do need some rain. Rain is good, but not too much rain," explained Houde.
Last year, thirsty birds were the culprit, gobbling up the grapes during the drought. This year, there are more grapes and Houde says that means the harvest will be worth the wait.
"This year’s much much better as you can see on the vines," she said.
The vineyard expects to harvest 45 tons of grapes this season. That’s about average, but far more than was harvested last year.
