Fewer El Dorado County grapes to harvest

El Dorado County produced fewer wine grapes than the last three years, but the quality is said to be high.

Significant spring rains followed by consistent, slightly above average temperatures during the growing season marked one of the earliest harvests on record.

“The quality of this year was outstanding,” Josh Bendick of Holly’s Hill Vineyards said in a press release. “2014 was the shortest harvest we have ever had. Although we’ve started picking earlier in previous years, we were done earlier this year.“

There are more than 70 wineries and nearly 2,000 vineyard acres in the county.

The drought is a larger contributor less tonnage.

Wildland fires in the area burned on the fringes of the wine region.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report