While it's still early, there are signs of a good growing season for the upcoming California grape crop. "A lot of the grapes are in bloom right now," says Jim Beagle of Grapery. "We've had a second wet winter in a row so there's plenty of water this year. The soil profile is full of water and the vines are healthy. We've also had dry warm weather going into the bloom period."
He also adds that the bunch counts on the vines also look good. "These are all the conditions so far for a good quality crop," says Beagle. "There's a lot of optimism at this time of year."
Impact of weather
As for the timing of the season, last year was an incredibly late year and started in early to mid-July in the San Joaquin Valley. This year however is to date, running 10 days ahead of last year which is closer to what's considered normal timing. "It's still so early so the upcoming weather could change quickly and that would impact timing and that difference between what we saw last year and normal could continue to change until we get into the more stable weather of the summer."
Meanwhile, on demand for domestic grapes, retailers are currently in their planning cycle for California grapes and Beagle says they plan to promote them prominently and aggressively and expect good volumes with consistency on availability and quality.
For more information:
Jim Beagle
Grapery
Tel: +1-661-387-9300
[email protected]
www.grapery.biz