Blessing of the Grapes Held at Winery

The Lucas & Lewellen Grape Harvest

Len Wood
August 18th, 2015
Santa Maria TImes

For winemaker Louis Lucas, the continuing severe drought means less grapes, a whole lot less. So he'll take any help that he can get, even from the divine.

Photo by Len Wood of Father John Finley blessing the first fruits of the Lucas & Lewellen grape harvest

2015 California Winegrape Harvest Report

Early, light, and exceptional quality

October 15, 2015
Wine Institute
SANTA BARBARA
Louis Lucas, Third Generation Grape Grower
Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards
Harvest started a couple of weeks earlier than ever before. Our yields in some varieties, like Pinot Noir and Pinot Grigio, are unbelievably low. Both bunch size and berry size are small. This situation is statewide, especially in the coastal regions. Everyone is questioning why. Many things enter into it,
like the fact that we had three large crops in a row, an early fall frost, a warm winter, bad weather during flowering, irregular berry set, a lack of winter rains and no deep soil moisture. Our total production will be down about 50 percent. I do expect the 2015 vintage to be a quality one. We were done harvesting a month early.
A picture of full grape bins at morning harvest

Winery "blesses the grapes"

Vintners’ whole year depends on 2-month harvest season

Dave Bemis
September 13, 2012

In a scene that will be repeated thousands of times around the Central Coast over the next two months, a forklift set a big bin of freshly picked grapes onto the concrete floor of the Lucas & Lewellen Winery.

To celebrate the beginning of the harvest and to honor the work that’s been required to reach this point in the growing season, the winery in Buellton held a brief but solemn “Blessing of the Grapes” ceremony at noon Wednesday, mixed with light-hearted comments, a toast and an informal lunch.

Father John Finley blesses the Lucas & Lewellen harvest

Vine Damage Hit-and-Miss from Early Frost

Autumn 2008
Santa Maria Times

Santa Barbara County, CA – An unexpectedly early frost as the grape harvest heads into the final stretch has resulted in hit-and-miss damage, with vineyards in the Santa Ynez Valley apparently suffering more than those in the Santa Maria Valley.

Temperatures on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights dipped into the 40s in many places, 30s in a few, and even as low as 26 in isolated areas of the Santa Ynez Valley, with the coldest readings occurring on different nights in different locations.

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