CALDWELL, Idaho — Idaho’s winegrape industry has rebounded from a November 2014 freeze that sharply reduced the 2015 crop.

With only a few acres left to pick, growers and vintners are reporting winegrape yields 50 to 100 percent higher than last year and slightly to well above normal.

“We had a super crop. We had a banner year,” said Bill Ringert, owner of Cold Springs Winery in Hammett. “In fact, we’re not even picking the end of the crop because everybody seems to have had a pretty good crop and outside sales are not exceptional.”

Ron Bitner, owner of Bitner Vineyards in Caldwell, is also not picking some of his crop and will let about 10-15 percent go to the birds.

“Most of the wineries ran out of tank space,” he said. “I wish I could have got it all but I’m happy with what I got. I got more than I needed.”

A November 2014 cold snap had a major impact on Idaho’s 2015 winegrape crop, which was down 40-50 percent from normal.

But 2016 crop loads were up significantly from last year.

Dale Jeffers, manager of Skyline Vineyards near Nampa, said yields in his big vineyard are double last year’s production while yields in his smaller vineyard are up 50 percent over 2015.

Compared with average years, “Crop yields are probably slightly above normal,” said winemaker Martin Fujishin, owner of Fujishin Family Cellars in Caldwell.

It took a lot of work for growers to get vines retrained following the 2014 freeze but the vines seem to have rebounded nicely, he said.

“It looks like all the growers bounced back pretty well and all the vines are coming back healthy,” Fujishin said. “This year, everything looks like it’s pretty much back to normal.”

Idaho Wine Commission Executive Director Moya Shatz-Dolsby said 2016 weather conditions were favorable for winegrapes.

Mike Williamson, manager of Williamson Orchards and Vineyards in Caldwell, said the weather was optimal in mid- to late July during “lag phase,” a critical stage of winegrape development when rapid cell division occurs.

“It was a great growing season; we weren’t hit with any sort of problems,” Shatz-Dolsby said.

Growers are also reporting good quality.

“It was a pretty big crop and it looks very healthy,” Williamson said.

“All the numbers were good: acids, sugars, flavors,” Bitner said. “All the good things you want to have. It’s one of the best vintages I’ve had personally.”