Grape growers headed for a blind harvest

Price per tonne still to be determined as picking season begins

Grape growers are thanking the heavens for a forecasted two weeks of sunny weather that's expected to dry out saturated vines and diluted berries and finish ripening them.

Weeks of rain have soaked vineyards, leaving growers scrambling to trim back overgrown leaves and spray for pests and disease.

Many say this ongoing dry spell will likely be enough to make the 2008 vintage a good year, especially for most white grape varieties.

Some started to pick grapes this week.

But there's another force at work, besides Mother Nature.

While hundreds of Ontario grape growers with winery contracts will start delivering the fruit in the next few weeks, they won't know what they're getting paid.

Price negotiations between the Grape Growers of Ontario and the Wine Council of Ontario broke down in July.

The matter is set to go to arbitration before an Ontario Farm Products Marketing Commission Panel in Toronto on Oct. 2 and 3.

Grape growers want the prices per tonne to increase or stay the same, depending on variety. The wine council wants prices to drop.

Both sides say it's a supply and demand issue.

The wine council says there's too many grapes to go around, but grape growers have maintained there's just enough of the fruit to meet the needs of the province's 100-plus wineries.