After a couple of unsuccessful attempts due to weather, beginning last year, we finally managed to work between two storms to get in the pruning workshop. It was a beautiful day and perfect for the discussions and demonstrations for the well attended gathering. The takeaway is that pruning takes some thought since what you do now will affect not only this year’s harvest, but the following one as well.

The content of the workshop was as follows:

Demystifying Pruning

Cordon/spur vs Cane pruning techniques

Conversion methods between pruning techniques

Reading the vines for good pruning decisions

Vines should be pruned based on their capacity and how to determine that capacity

Selection of shoots for new growth and renewals

Decisions on number of buds for balance growth

Demonstrations of all of the above.

************************************

After the pruning workshop, we all gathered for a glass of wine and cheeses under a wonderful afternoon light in the vineyard, and still had plenty of time to watch the Superbowl! What a day.

This could be an annual event for our members if desired.

Hello fellow LWGA wine lovers;

I have prepared below the results of the compiled harvest reports for your review. I would like to thank everyone who responded to my requests for your harvest report. The numbers below are a total of the information I was able to gather from the responses. I am sure the numbers are a little low because I have not received responses from everyone. The numbers below are in pounds reported.

Cab Sauvignon 18,589

Merlot 4,056

Pinot Noir 10,705

Petit Sirah 6,850

Sauv. Blanc 760

Cabernet Franc 570

Tempranillo 837

Sangiovese 3,225

Chardonnay 3,315

Petit Verdot 900

Syrah 3,887

Zinfandel 3,440

Malbec 907

Grenache 1,300

Mourvèdre 1,500

Total reported gross Harvest combined for 2024 is 60,741 pounds

Well done everyone! You can see we have a wide variety of grapes for everyone’s tastes.

Looking forward to 2025!

Thanks again for your participation!!

Sincerely:

Daniel Howsepian

Raisin d’Etre Vineyards

Below are the bios and headshots of the 5 candidates running for the board for 2025.

My name is Pietro Buttitta and I have spent the last 25 years working in food and wine, first as a professional chef in Portland, Or., San Francisco, and Napa Valley, and then as a full-time professional winemaker and grapegrower for the last 15 years while living in Oakland. My wines have been featured in Wine Enthusiast Magazine, Bloomberg and the SF Chronicle, and I have also produced wines for other brands in Napa and Paso Robles and out-of-state wineries while focusing on my own Prima Materia Vineyard & Winery label while growing grapes and producing up to 3,500 cases per year. A grape grower at heart, I have experience planting and managing vineyards and have consulted for wineries and vineyards in Lake County and Dry Creek Valley. In addition to building my own wine brand I also worked extensively with the Lake County Winery Association and the winegrape commission, representing the AVA and wines at national gatherings ranging from New York City to online classes. 

In pursuit of deeper wine knowledge I also acquired sommelier certification, have spoken at national wine conferences, and co- directed two wine competitions and have judged at others. A global wine perspective is very important for me, so I also acquired sommelier certification, have spoken at national wine conferences, and co- directed two wine competitions and have judged at others. I also try to keep up with the latest Italian pruning techniques, historical fermentation methods, and keeping pace with the international world of wine in general. I spent last year with working with Bill English and am involved with the Local Vines project which has been a great opportunity to learn about this area and transfer my focus to the Lamorinda AVA, and I am excited by the opportunity to help grow and promote this unique area and the diverse potential it so clearly has.
Pietro Buttitta

I first became aware of the world of quality wine with a family visit to Bordeaux with my French Father in Law in 1980.  Eye opening, mouth watering, and highly educational, was that trip.  Within a few years I decided I wanted to learn how to grow grapes and make quality wine.  But as with many of us I was raising kids and earning a living running my own software consulting business. That dream was forestalled until 2003 when it became clear that I was going to need a 3d act.  It was then that I decided to take full suite of Vit and Eno extension courses at Davis with the intention of planting a vineyard and making wine at my family property in the Lake County Red Hills AVA.  

In 2004 I planted the vineyard and in 2008 my first vintage materialized.  This and subsequent vintages turned out nicely which was confirmed by entering several competitions.  By 2010 I had joined the Lake County Grape Growers Assoc. and was able to acquire grapes from commercial local growers as well as learn some of their secrets.  In the subsequent years I have made 8 different reds, 3 different whites, Port, Sauternes style botritus desert wine, and brandy. These wines have won many Best of Show, numerous Golds, and a few Silvers over 14 years at 9 different wine comps.   I do all the vineyard tending and winemaking to this day myself but do get help for the heavy lifting stuff.  

I’ve lived in Lafayette since 1978.  I have been on the LWGA board for the past 5 years, the last two as President.  My Presidential term ends in January and I will not be standing for President in 2025.  However I will be standing for election for another 2 year term as a board member. 

We have been successful in offering educational programs to the LWGA membership in both vineyard care and winemaking and will continue and expand those offerings going forward.  In the year ahead we on the board look forward to establishing a mutually beneficial relationship with the Local Vines Winery which will be opening this Spring at its location on Mt. Diablo Blvd.  The facility currently has a working winery on its lower floor, will have a retail store in one half of it’s street level floor, with the other half being a commercial catering kitchen.   I urge you all to closely watch for the announcement of Local Vines grand opening fiesta coming soon?  

I thank you for reading my election statement and would very much appreciate your vote for another term as a LWGA board member. 

Thank you,  David Hicks,  LWGA board member and retiring President. 

My name is Leanne Pilot and I am a candidate for the LWGA Board.  

I have been an Orinda resident for 7 years, living and working in the Sleepy Hollow neighborhood where we grow approximately 4500 vines of Grenache, Syrah, and Chardonnay.   Our wines are bottled under the Crane Terrace Winery label.  

Prior to managing the property at Crane Terrace I’d spent twenty years working for both PeopleSoft and Oracle in education, training, and pre-sales consulting.  

In the past year I’ve enjoyed spending time in the community educating through wine tastings and other events, sharing information about the Lamorinda AVA, the Lamorinda Wine Growers Association, and the excellent wines being grown locally. It’s been very rewarding to see people gain an awareness about what’s available locally and getting excited about our local wines and the region. 

I would like to serve on the board in order to continue to share what we are doing, share our wines and assist in executing current LWGA growth plans.

Leanne Pilot, Member and Candidate for Board of Directors

I am currently serving as LWGA Secretary. I have considerable board experience and look forward to continuing to serve the Lamorinda Winegrowers’ Association and its members, if elected to do so.
My wife, Esther, and I planted approximately 2,300 vines in 2010 and had our thirteenth harvest this past year. Our varietals consist of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc. Thal Vineyards, LLC is bonded with an O-2 license.

I am retired, having done so for the third time (United States Air Force, private practice of optometry and Clinical Professor and Assistant Dean, University of California). Some of my other board experience includes serving as President of the California State Board of Optometry on five occasions and serving two years as President of the California Optometric Association. I have completed two terms on the board of an independent private school in the East Bay, and for over 20 years I have served as president of two homeowners’ associations.

I am a strong supporter of our AVA and the quality wines we produce. Esther and I are renovating a downtown Lafayette building as a winery and tasting room which we hope will actively promote local wine and offer a venue to introduce our wines to the public. It can also serve as a focal point for viticulture education and LWGA activity.  Hopefully it will open in early 2025.

Larry Thal, Current Board Member and Secretary

Relationship to LWGA: One of the founding members of the LWGA (2005). Past posts with LWGA include President of the Board (2014); Board Member (2013 – 2024); Board Member of the Orinda Chamber of Commerce (2016 – 2022) as Secretary and Liaison for the LWGA. 

Vineyard: Los Arabis Pinot Noir (1500 vines in Lafayette) planted in 1999.  Currently our wine (250+/- ) cases are being produced at Local Vines in Lafayette!  We sell to local restaurants and retail in Lamorinda. Much of our wine is donated to local schools, church and hospital fundraising programs, and other charities and non-profits. 

Personal: Our Construction firm, Sausal Corporation, Concord, CA, builds schools, fire stations and public buildings throughout northern California. Our Son Josh, Orinda resident, now runs the company.  I am a graduate of Cal Poly, SLO, in LA&ED.

Leslie Ward, Current Board Member

Hello fellow grape growers.

If you remember, last year I tried to have a pruning workshop but it got cancelled twice due to weather.

I’m going to give it another try on Feb 1, 2025 @ 10 AM. And the weather forecast is looking good!

I have five spots left on this workshop and if you are interested, please send me an e-mail to:

Raisindetrevineyards@gmail.com and the first five to respond can join us.

Looking forward to seeing you in the vineyard for this special workshop!

Daniel Howsepian

Raisin d’Etre Vineyards

925-858-7000

Hello fellow LWGA members:

I am in the middle of trying to complete my annual Harvest Report for 2024. Unfortunately, I am far from completion because many of you have not responded to my earlier request for your harvest information.

I need your names; Vineyard name; total gross weights of each varietal you grow and any other information you may wish to share.

Please send this information to: Raisindetrevineyards@gmail.com

I am supposed to complete this by 12/31/24

Thank you again for providing this information.

Please call me at : 925-858-7000 if you have any questions.

Daniel Howsepian

Pietro and his family have a vineyards and winery in Kelseyville 6 miles from my home vineyard in Lake County. I’ve taken many guests to his family winery over the years and become acquainted with his father and their Italian wines. Pietro recently joined Bill English at Local vines as a winemaker and he has extensive knowledge of grape growing and winemaking that can be valuable to you. Over the last several years Daniel Howsepian and I visited a number of member vineyards in Lamorinda and we became aware that the knowledge and experience of our membership is highly varied. In Pietro’s write up he has points out several areas that our owners need to pay attention to. such as, water: unless you have a well you are going to pay city prices for vineyard water as well as the need and timing of water use, spraying: under spraying is common here and the result is vine disease, how to do I right, soil: the nature of our soil and its challenges, pruning: types and timing, just to name a few.

He goes on to discuss winemaking. So members, you now have a knowledgeable and available resource to help you solve problems and get your vineyards to produce top quality grapes. Without great grapes there is no great wine. Enjoy the read. Hope to see you all on Wednesday evening.

DAVID HICKS President LWGA

(I wrote up a little vintage report – hope you enjoy and find something discussion-worthy. I would love to chat at some point with everyone and see your vineyards! – Pietro)

What a difference a year can make. In the span of just a few years we have gone from the notion that all California vintages are pretty much the same to the feeling that no two are alike. The Lamorinda AVA in Contra Costa county is fortunate to sit between two competing climate forces in the cooler Berkeley and Oakland Hills/Eastern Bay area to the west with water-influenced temperatures including fog and some volcanic elements, and the warmer inland Contra Costa AVA to the east that has its own unique diurnal pattern. Through the abundant small valleys running every direction in Lamorinda, the maze of aspects and slopes helps to crystalize unique terroir pockets through nearly exclusive hillside viticulture. Cooler spots to the east can still achieve ripeness with good afternoon sunlight, cold air drainage and warmth for reds, while warmer spots to the west enjoy evening cooling and wind that can moderate daytime high temperatures. It is an AVA in which almost any cultivar can perform well in and there is still a vast amount of exploration to do.

But first, some data from the last three years using Rutherford as a proxy for Lafayette. Rutherford is not as hot as Calistoga or St. Helena, and not as cool or Bay-influenced as Oakville, . The numbers for Healdsburg/Windsor as Chalk Hill or easter Russian River Valley, Rutherford, and the Lafayette Reservoir tend to be roughly comparable, so that is what is used below on the temperature charts.

Looking back, 2022 was a very strange year after the almost rainless 2021 that was awarded the driest year on record for the Northern California. The crop was also pitifully small in the North Coast. 2022 had pretty good rainfall, a moderate budbreak with unusually warm temperatures in the Spring, but into August it was running abnormally cool and almost two weeks behind, and there was a lot of work being done to choke back canopies growing vigorously from late rain and to keep mildew at bay. We were settling in for a cool vintage. Then at the start of September a record-breaking heatwave hit for a week touching 118F in many areas, followed by heavy rain (2+ inches) in many locations that put the vines back into a growth cycle, further degrading fruit quality despite a blissfully perfect ending to the season. There was much internal discussion on the destruction this level heat caused to grape chemistry, and some wineries won’t release 2022 wines. Here (I hope these temperature maps upload) is what that temperature curve looked like:

2022 Growing degree days (GDD) approx.: 3200

In 2023 things changed again with one of the coolest and latest vintages on record, bolstered by heavy rain in the winter that pushed crop load upward. Disease pressure was extreme with mildew and botrytis a constant threat without temperatures above 85F to suppress it, and mildewed grapes were refused all over Sonoma County, and high VA fermentations were a problem everywhere. The Lamorinda AVA fared well since hillside vineyards are naturally limited in their water availability, and the leaner canopies lowered the disease threat along with the AVA’s  abundance of grapes with small clusters and lack of heavily-cropped white grapes. All those valleys also promote airflow which is always helpful with mildew pressure, and though temperatures were low there was a good amount of hangtime, allowing ripeness to build slowly with moderate sugars, and good weather through October was just what was needed.

2023 Growing degree days (GDD) approx. 2700

But 2024 was a different story all together yet again, and very unusual. Much like the scorching 2020 vintage that had similar heat which was evidenced by fires throughout the state, the 2023/24 winter had heavy rainfall, well above normal in many areas with fully loaded soils. It came out of the gate hot and fast, and as the grapes approached veraison most growers in Lamorinda were already watering regularly and we were seeing lots 100F days. Some areas in Lamorinda touched 100 degrees over 40 times, and though one heat wave has become the new normal, two in late season, especially back-to-back AND in October is extremely unusual. However, there is also a subtle fortunate feature that has not been mentioned in vintage reports thus far – the evening temperatures were actually a little lower than normal relative to the daytime heat, creating a moderating effect that helped the vines recover, especially in Lamorinda.

2024 Growing degree days (GDD) approx. 3700

Viticulture: Overall Lamorinda grapes did very well for a challenging vintage. Canopies were mostly filled out thanks to good rainfall, though this can be limited by steep hillsides, and good rainfall helps continue root growth in the spring leading to stronger vines. The grapes in cooler areas such as Moraga and Orinda had it a little easier, but even hot vineyards looked good, though the constant heat stress made for a state-wide light crop. The double heat whammy in late September and October was stressful, and during the second spike in October some saw their fruit increase one degree brix per day, but despite some acid softening and low nitrogen, grapes that had been take care of made great wine with ripe fruit and good structure. When you have two heat spikes, there is only so much you can do.

Vineyards that did not fare well generally had either mildew problems, irrigation issues, or improper netting. Despite the heat (mildew does not grow above 85F) we still saw quite a few vineyards that had fruit damage due to early season mildew. This was a very wet spring which is always challenging, possible issues due to shading and proximity to trees, insufficient spray application (which is very hard to do by hand in all of these tractor-less steep vineyards) or not rotating chemistries, like using sulfur, then an oil, and then biologicals or strobilurins. Mildew creates microscopic holes in berries, which creates all sorts of problems, and it can be seen as grey or black specks on the fruit and in the clusters on stems, or mold-like spots on leaves. It has a musty, white pepper smell as well. It is always present and grows between 70-85F and without full sunlight, we just keep it at bay with most sprays. Some growers experienced heavy insect damage, but this was likely due to improper mildew control early in the season or predation. Some mildew in May easily leads to perforated sugar-filled berries in August that insects can smell, and that grape sugar in broken berries or on stems that have had the grapes pulled off send out a feeding beacon to all sugar-loving insects and even birds, not to mention sugar that ferments and then turns into vinegar and all sorts of microbial mayhem. Sound fruit should not experience any insect issues if the birds are kept out, but once berries are broken, it will all go downhill rapidly.

If one thing was clear for late season grape growers (Cabernet Sauvignon and in cooler pockets) it is that once you are behind on irrigation, it is impossible to “catch up” again. Drip irrigation can help keep vines stay a little more comfortable during a heat event, but it is impossible to apply enough water to negate the heat. A second heat spike only compounds this, especially with vines are at the end of their cycle when they just want to sleep. On this topic growers are advised to always watch the 10-day agricultural forecast, make sure that vineyard managers have checked all irrigation lines and that all controls are working properly, and visually check and confirm the system is functioning whenever possible. Coyotes love to chew through drip lines, hose ends can blow off, sun exposure can crack risers, and all sorts of problems can appear from nowhere. Hillside drip irrigation does not allow for much soil penetration either, so while your friends in Rutherford might get away with 4 gallons per week per vine in the last month before picking, you on a hillside will need far more, possibly 15 gallons per week per vine leading up to harvest. Remember that we are largely on sandstone and clay here, which has limited water-holding capacity depending on the amount of clay in your particular vineyard, and organic matter is hard to build in these hills, so holding onto the drip is a challenge. Former seabed ironically doesn’t hold much water, especially on steep hillsides, and I have noticed a few vineyards with the wrong rootstocks for hillsides (101-14 in particular) which will require even more water. Planting vines close together (most plantings are very close in Lamorinda) requires even more water to boot compared to wider distances between vines. The thinking on tight vine planting has changed a lot in the last 15 years.

Lamorinda is also unique in the necessity of bird netting. With so much beautiful woodland surrounding the vineyards it is also a paradise to birds, skunks, foxes, ground squirrels, deer, turkeys, and every type of animal that also loves sugar-rich grapes. Tightly secured netting is a must, but before the netting goes up at veraison, the canopies must have all the final work and tuning done first, meaning that final shoot thinning and any fruit thinning (not too much of a problem on hillsides) all needs to be done before the nets go on during or immediately after veraison. Walking the vineyard to check irrigation lines and check netting closures are always a good (and relaxing) idea.

There also a predominance of spur pruning in the area that makes for an interesting topic. Some cultivars like Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc are usually cane pruned, and in Bordeaux most Cabernets and Merlot are cane pruned as well in their wetter climates, but I have yet to see a single cane-pruned vine in Lamorinda. If you suspect trunk diseases like eutypa, or any sort of disease-related decline in your cordon arms, it may be time to gently go back to creating a new arm from a cane. Though many diseases generally come from neighboring vineyards which is not a problem in Lamorinda, the woodland also harbors fungal pathogens. The last 10 years a wealth of information has been published regarding a new understanding of vine pruning that prioritizes protecting the vines and building them for resilience that is worth investigating for vineyard owners who want to get their hands dirty. Wetter/cooler spots like in Orinda might want to consider the viability of cane pruning if disease pressure is a constant problem. You can even go half-and-half to experiment.

Winemaking: Unlike the record heat spike in 2022 that destroyed color (anthocyanin) in grapes on the vine by cooking them in place before they were even 21 brix, it did not get hot enough for that to happen in Lamorinda. Vines can tolerate quite a few days around 100 degrees if they have had some acclimation, and since Lamorinda is a solid zone 3 in general though there are exceptions on either side, vines will usually not be shocked by heat. Grape chemistries proved to be as unique as each person’s vineyard this year, but in general acids were as expected with some low-ish from the heat but some just right, tannin ripeness was great and nothing was noticeably off. There were some late-season picks that had perfect numbers, and a couple early ones that needed a little work, so it really comes down to the owner keeping a vigilant eye on everything and a communicative crew with an expert on board to react in a timely manner to the growing season, plus the general health of the vines.

The largest challenge for us at the winery in this hot year was receiving hot grapes. If the grapes arrive over 75 degrees we might have a problem. Fermentations want to start around 60-65 degrees for red wines and hopefully cooler, and colder for whites. Please do not pick grapes after 9am on a hot day. That fruit needs to arrive at the winery cold, the colder the better. I am used to meeting the pickers to start at 4 am and using headlamps. With bird netting make that 3 am. With hillside vineyards where every picking tub must be carried up and down a hill by hand, make that 2 am. Yeasts and bacteria are always present and they grow exponentially with heat, so keep those grapes as cool as possible, and keep them out of the sun once picked!

One other anomaly was that a few vineyards with great looking fruit had peculiar sulfur issues before fermentation had even started, which may have been from molecular sulfur remaining on the grapes. If you suspect that your vineyard team is only using sulfur for mildew suppression or are still using sulfur after the berries have sized up or into veraison, you should have them rotate to something else from the list above. Residual sulfur dust can be particularly terrible in fermentations, and micronized sulfur can be a problem as well. If used as a later-season spray in tight-bunch cultivars like Petite Sirah, Grenache, Petit Verdot, Sauvignon Blanc, and sometimes Pinot Noir, you run the risk that as the berries expand to full size the sulfur can become trapped between the berries, leading to problems down the road.

With the heat it is inevitable that grape nitrogen may be a little low, and some shrivel is inevitable with extreme heat. There were a couple vineyards that came in with challenging numbers in early September. They already had high sugars, high malic acid, and high potassium and pH, meaning three winery challenges at once. These are probably traceable back to lack of water leading to vine shut down early on, and possible overexposure to sun. If you have had a few years with some sunburn or challenging numbers at pick time, let’s take a look and see what we can do.

The wine business in general: For the second year in a row wine consumption has fallen by over 10%. The Central Valley continues to remove vineyards, grape contracts everywhere are broken, and wine tourism continues to decline. I had colleagues picking up Napa fruit that was usually $8,000+ per ton for $1,000 in October. Here in the Lamorinda area we are somewhat insulated from the urban anti-alcohol movement among young consumers, and many feel that we may have reached to bottom of the decline, which would be great. Though the WHO is not going to change their anti-alcohol stance, regime change in Washington is throwing all the cards into the air once again with a mix of tariffs, possible deportations, and FDA revisions (your food pyramid and dietary guidelines including alcohol are all on the table in 2025) that will all affect the wine business deeply on way or another.

All in all, Lamorinda had a great vintage despite quite a few challenges this year. Back-to-back heat spikes is no joke, and it is possible that pest pressure was extra high this year as the ebb and flow of wildlife and insect interaction seems to fluctuate with each vintage these days. Be sure to give yourself a big pat on the back. If there are things you would like to improve upon, please discuss things with your vineyard manager during the winter, well before the vines start growing. Winter is the time to plan any changes and discuss what worked and what didn’t. I would also personally love to visit everyone’s vineyard in person and I’m happy to offer any thoughts or help in any way I can. Understanding the vineyards helps make better wine, which will only help the AVA as it continues to move forward.

Pietro Buttitta

Thal Vineyards/Local Vines

Prima Materia Vineyard & Winery

info@prima-materia.com

The correct phone # to call me about helping at the Playhouse party is

925.997.1997.

thank you.

DH

Asking for a minimum of 3 hopefully 4 members to take 35 minute shifts opening and setting up members wine bottles as they arrive at the Playhouse. We will need to keep the bar stocked and glasses available, and finish cup by closing down the party at the end of the evening. I will be coordinating these activities. If you would be willing to help us out please contact me directly as this phone number? 925.9973.1997. Looking forward to hearing from some of you soon.

Regards, DAVID HICKS President LWGA