California wine divides into two camps—the established commercial routes of Napa and Sonoma, and the wild west of everything else. As we broaden our wine-drinking horizons, we learn that low-key pioneers with bold, confident dreams are not just a memory of the early days of the gold rush. Enter the wine-soaked world of Michael David winery in Lodi, California, the reputed “Zinfandel capital of the world”.
08/26/2010
Cool Summer Weather Affects Rice Growers, Other Ag Groups
From the Capital Press:
A cool summer has put most crops behind their anticipated schedules by roughly two weeks, growers and farm groups in California say. In the rice fields of the Sacramento Valley, crops could see impacts from the lack of heat that producers won't see until harvest, said Jim Morris, spokesman for the California Rice Commission.
Late rains and cool temperatures in spring delayed planting by seven to 10 days, and indications suggest harvest will run similarly late, Morris said.
If temperatures dip too low between now and harvest -- which normally goes from September into November -- farmers could see decreased yields from "blanking," when grains fail to mature.
"You don't know till you harvest it, and you see what your harvest looks like," Morris said. "There are just a lot of unknowns."
More at: http://www.capitalpress.com/california/ws-California-weather-082710