2020 is looking like an exceptional crop. The number of clusters per cane, the number of berries per cluster, and the size of the berries are the key factors to contribute to how big the crop is. Weather, disease, flowering, pollination, fruit set, as well as, how we manage the vineyard affect those three factors. This year we started with most canes having two or more clusters. That is what we like to see, but it is seldom the case. Like most perennial plants, grape vines have a two year reproduction cycle, buds initiated during shoot growth this spring slowly develop over the summer to produce buds with predetermined clusters for next season. The weather in the spring of 2019 was responsible for the high cluster count we have now. The abundance of clusters, early bud break and ideal weather so far is setting up the 2020 vintage to be a big, intensely flavored crop. But, as farmers often say” don’t count your chicken before they hatch'. We still have 6 weeks before harvest and many things can happen.
