(Wines&Vines) - Despite a summer that never seemed to get hot, and a drenching rainstorm that swept through the region at the onset of crush, Mendocino County grapegrowers remained confident and optimistic about the 2011 harvest. “The biggest problem was the delay,” said winemaker Zach Rasmuson of Goldeneye Winery in Philo. Rasmuson said the late start of this year’s harvest meant that many of the grapes most susceptible to rot were still on the vine when the wet weather arrived. Thankfully, he said, rain was followed by a stretch of dry, sunny weather, and serious rot problems have been avoided. Other growers expressed similar views: While the rain was cause for worry, the subsequent sunshine staved off serious rot problems for the moment, although another bout of rain has been forecast this week.