Harvest 2024 has now officially come to a close. With the last of our red wines having finished fermentation and been pressed off, we want to take a moment to reflect on the 2024 Harvest season and share what happened this year in the Vineyard and in the Winery. We sat down with Director of Viticulture John Fondacaro and Winemaker Russell Hearn to hear their thoughts on this years growing season and the 2024 Harvest.
2024 was a challenging growing season for the vineyards of the North Fork of Long Island. A Spring frost coupled with high heat and humidity throughout the early Summer presenting its fair share of challenges.
A late Spring frost caught the region by surprise, as temperatures dropped for a few hours one night in early May. This frost occurred just as our white wine varieties were experiencing “bud-break.” Unfortunately, the frost stunted and damaged the vines just as the buds were forming—when the vine is at its most delicate developmental stage. This resulted in widespread loss throughout the region, with the greatest losses seen specifically in Chardonnay. At our vineyard site on Oregon Road, we were partially spared due to our close proximity to the Sound, which helps moderate our temperatures. Because bodies of water cool and heat up slower than the land around them. Large bodies of water act to protect and provide some relief from extreme temperature conditions. In our vineyard we saw our Chardonnay grape yield reduced to about half due to the frost, but the quality remained very high.
Fall weather conditions often make or break red wine vintages. The weather on the North Fork this Fall was outstanding and provided ideal grape growing conditions. We saw next to no rain, lots of sunshine, and warm days. It is music to a Director of Viticulture & Winemakers ears to hear ‘drought condition warnings’ in the weather forecast during harvest, and there was certainly plenty of that this Fall. 2024 was the driest September – October period in Long Island winery history. The region expects a spectacular Vintage!
Cutchogue, which is often referred to as “the sunniest place in New York,” has experienced spectacular weather, and the grapes in our vineyards at Suhru & Lieb developed beautifully. Ripening was completed while acid levels remained optimal—conditions that we strive for, but which are often out of our control. Our vineyard team was very proud to deliver the highest quality grapes to our winery this season.
