Grape growers say soil moisture, smart viticulture helped Napa Valley vines endure heat

Jess Durate, Napa Valley Register

Napa Valley grape growers say a wet winter and advanced viticultural practices helped local vineyards thrive during an unusually hot growing season.
Growers shared their perspectives on the 2024 vintage during the Napa Valley Grapegrowers’ and Napa Valley Vintners’ joint harvest press conference on Thursday.

Matt Stornetta, vineyard manager of Stornetta Made Vineyards Management, counted 38 to 40 days with temperatures of 100 degrees or more, up from eight to 10 days in 2023.
Soil moisture and healthy canopy growth helped the vines withstand the heat, according to Pauline Lhote, winemaking director at Chandon. It helped that the July heat wave hit before veraison, the beginning of grape ripening, thus limiting grapes’ susceptibility to heat damage.
Winemaker Bertus van Zyl of Farm Collective said the early heat wave “set the trend for the season” and primed the vines to endure subsequent hot weather. “The vines looked fine,” he said.
Aside from soil moisture, smart farming practices were a major factor in the vines' success.
Stornetta said no-till floor management dramatically reduces temperatures, although it’s not suitable for all soil types. Van Zyl pointed to drought-tolerant rootstocks.

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