“With the California wine grape harvest in full swing, 2013 is shaping up as a good year for many growers, including vineyard manager Jim Stollberg at Presqu’ile Winery in Santa Maria. Presqu’ile (pronounced press-KEEL) Winery kicked off its Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grape harvests in early September,followed by pickings of Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, and Nebbiolo grapes. The harvests should wrap up in mid October. “The wine grape yields are at our estimates or slightly better and the berries are slightly larger than usual,” Stollberg says. “Grape quality looks good and the fruit is clean. The feedback from our winemakersis very positive.” This fall is the first harvest of Nebbiolo grapes. The 200-acre operation located in the Santa Maria Valley (SMV) in Southern California’s Santa Barbara County includes 72-acres of premium wine grapes, said Stollberg during Farm Press’ late July visit.”

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