After a Frost Scare, Growth and Resilience in the Estate Vineyard

Spring Growth on the Estate Vineyard:  Left – May 21st after the first leaves emerged from the bud;  Right – May 26th after a few warm days.

And we’re off!

Its always exciting to see the vineyard emerge from dormancy, but especially so this year.   A cold front pushed through the Finger Lakes region beginning on May 8th and continued for several days.  During this time, temperatures as low as 28 degrees Fahrenheit were recorded at the estate vineyard. By that time, buds were pushing, we had ~ 1 centimeter growth throughout much of the vineyard, and we were concerned about frost damage to the new buds.

And so we waited.  Warmer days returned, and we started to see the vines stirring again.  Last week, leaves emerged from the buds throughout the vineyard (see photo on the left, taken on 5/21).  This week, we experienced a heat wave, with temperatures reaching as high as 94 degrees, and the vines grew rapidly (see photo on the right, taken on 5/26).   We usually have a week or so each season where the vineyard grows so rapidly that you can hardly believe what you are seeing – it never ceases to amaze us to see what a some sunshine and heat can do in such a short period of time!

We are cautiously optimistic that while some damage occurred in early May, there is potential for good fruit quality and yields.  Tom will be monitoring the vineyard over the next couple of weeks to do a full assessment.