SALEM (AP) — With volumes half of normal and with isolated incidents of yield loss to disease and birds, this year's Willamette Valley winegrape harvest is ranking as one of the lowest in recent history.

Oregon's total winegrape tonnage is expected to be far less than the 26,000 tons projected by Oregon Agricultural Statistic's Service in an August survey and well below last year's record harvest of 24,000 tons.

The biggest factor contributing to low yields, most vintners agreed, was poor set at harvest caused by rains during bloom. Several other factors surfaced during a survey of vineyard managers, including a never-before-seen necrosis, higher than normal damage from birds, and mildew.

Joe Dobbes, winemaker and owner of Marquam Hill Vineyards in Molalla, left 40 percent of his grapes on the vine due to mildew.

"It's been a very disappointing year,'' he said. "The high humidity this summer did not do my grapes any good.''

Dobbes, who normally produces Pinot noir, Riesling and Pinot gris, was able to salvage enough grapes to make a 2004 Riesling, but he has abandoned plans of bottling a 2004 Pinot noir.

"It's really been a heartbreak of a year,'' he said. "Mother Nature was not kind.''

Dobbes plans to make a Pinot gris from grapes he purchased. Other vintners couldn't find any.

"We tried to buy some Pinot gris at the last minute and we couldn't get any, which is unheard of,'' said Pat Dudley of Bethel Heights Vineyard in Salem. "There was an opportunity to sell grapes this year.''

Joe Olexa, winemaker and owner of Ankeny Vineyard in Salem, normally sells 75 percent of his grapes. This year he increased that despite the fact his yields were down 50 percent across the board.

"I could've sold another 40 tons of Pinot gris, but I didn't have any,'' he said. "People at the end were looking for Pinot noir, and that hasn't happened for many years.''

Olexa said his yields were the lowest in 20 years.

Rudy Marchesi, president and winemaker of Montinore Estate in Forest Grove, said yields were down 50 percent in Pinot noir and nearly two-thirds in Pinot gris, dropping from an average of 3 tons an acre to 1 ton an acre.

"Normally we get about 600 tons (of total grapes on the estate),'' Marchesi said. "This year we got 274.''

Marchesi, like most vintners, said poor set at bloom was the primary reason for low yields, but a never-before-seen necrosis also was a contributing factor. The necrosis, he said, was caused by a combination of factors, including stress from dry conditions last summer that vines took into dormancy, and hot, dry weather during the spring.

The necrosis, Marchesi said, damaged flower clusters prior to set and resulted in an absence of clusters in pockets. Montinore also lost another 10 percent of yield in the final days before harvest due to bird damage, Marchesi said.

"Flocks that normally come in November arrived in September and we had a tremendous problem with birds,'' he said. "I would say we lost 30 to 40 tons.''

Still, most vintners are happy with the few grapes they have.

"On the bright side, the quality is very, very good,'' said Marchesi.

Dudley of Bethel Heights agreed.

"We had nice, clean fruit and the berries are small, which is good for wine making.''

The other good news, vintners said, is this year's low volume at least temporarily solves what has been developing into a problem — excess grapes.

"This is a little breathing room,'' Marchesi said, "but I hope it doesn't result in too much of a price increase on the shelf.''