What Will Harvest 2020 be Remembered By?
After 18 harvests in the Willamette Valley, I mark each one by a moniker, or something specific I remember it by. For example, 2010 was Birds for the birds that ate much of our crop in October, and 2013 was Monsoon for the late September monsoon that challenged our crops at harvest. As we near the end of Harvest 2020, I would say that 2020 will be remembered by Compassion. Why?
The air quality in some localized parts of the Willamette Valley challenged our ability to harvest high quality grapes, which required strong partnerships between winemakers and vineyard owners to make tough decisions together. We are in this together- in times of bounty and disappointment. We chose agriculture and are constantly vulnerable to forces out of our well-planned control- we must bear the consequences with mutual respect for one another’s businesses and compassion for one another as individuals.
Our vineyard workers, who were still reeling from COVID’s impact on health and economics, suddenly saw their income slashed as there was simply less harvested and therefore less work. These are crucial workers that rely on the pay of this busy time of year, and we must always have compassion for the impact nature’s change of plans have on all members of our wine community.
While our harvest was thwarted in volume, we did not suffer the permanent damage to our vineyards or wineries that many of our Napa and Sonoma colleagues did. We must have compassion for our friends in other regions who find themselves needing to rebuild all they have worked to build.
It is too soon to say how the wines of 2020 will evolve- I firmly believe there will be some gorgeous wines, albeit less of it than usual. One thing we can say already, though, is that Harvest 2020 taught us compassion.