Vineyard 101: Dormancy

01 Feb Vineyard 101: Dormancy

Here at the winery, we are about halfway through winter and the vines are in a state of dormancy. The transition to the dormant period of the vine’s life cycle, began during or just after harvest when the plants began to shut down as the weather cooled and the days grew shorter. During this time, if temperatures remained warm enough,  grape leaves continued to photosynthesize until a hard frost. This period of time important for vine health as it allows the vine to accumulate the last bit of carbohydrates to support future growth in the upcoming vintage.

As temperatures dropped in late autumn, the vines became acclimated to the cold and sugars in the vine were converted to starch which was stored in the vine’s trunk and roots.  After the leaves fell, the vines continued to develop cold hardiness, but stopped accumulating carbohydrates. From leaf fall until the spring thaw later this year, the vines will remain dormant and are completely comprised of woody tissue.

Ater a milder than normal December, we’ve had a cold January here in the Finger Lakes. This year on our Estate vineyard site, the lowest temperature recorded was – 4 degrees Fahrenheit on January 21st. There are still some potentially sub-zero days in the forecast, and we are looking forward to the the arrival of spring when the worst of winter is behind us.