The summer heat isn't just making life uncomfortable for people in East County — it's also putting pressure on local vineyards.
At Trevi Hills Winery in Lakeside, soaring temperatures are changing the way grapes grow, forcing winemakers to adjust their approach in hopes of protecting this year's harvest.
"We budded probably a month, a month and a half early, which is fairly unheard of," said Trevi Hills Winery General Manager Michael Larranaga. "At the end of winter, we hit 100 degrees, and it never cooled, and so that's what we have to play with."
The unusually warm weather has accelerated the growing season, leaving some grape clusters developing at different rates. While some vines are nearly ready, others are still catching up.
"These are grapes going into veraison," Larranaga said while pointing to one row of vines. "Right next door to them are these guys that budded late. These we might lose just because it's too early."
Unlike many crops, vineyard crews can't simply pick ripe grapes and leave the rest behind.
"You can't be selective when you harvest," Larranaga explained. "You can't pull some and leave the others. It's all or nothing. And so we're going to lose some grapes."
To help protect the fruit, the winery has adjusted its irrigation schedule, watering vines early in the morning or late at night in an effort to keep them cooler and slow the ripening process.
"It's all learning how to water early, try to keep them cool early in the morning or late at night, where hopefully it can slow the process down just a bit," Larranaga said.
Even with those changes, the winery expects lower yields if temperatures remain high through the rest of the growing season.
Harvest typically begins in August, and growers will be closely monitoring the weather in the weeks ahead as they work to produce a successful vintage despite another hot East County summer.
