The polar vortex of cold Artic air that brought frigid temperatures to the area has grape growers and wineries concerned about the loss of this year's grape crop. Once again Mother Nature has brought another challenge to the grape growers. What we have to focus on now is how much damage has been done. There will be no pruning until the extent of damage can be determined and then we will make any adjustments needed prior to pruning.

Vines are susceptible to two kinds of winter injury. First there can be damage to the trunks which can be critical to the survival of the vine. Minor injury can result in moderate tumor tissue outside the bark. These trunks can heal after a season or two and can remain a healthy vine. Severe injury can result in crown galls (cancerous growths) on the trunks. This causes a definite decline in health and sometimes death of the vine. New shoots will start to grow below the galled area and become a replacement vine. The second type of cold injury is damage to the buds. Bud damage can greatly affect the production of the vine. Buds are made up of three parts, the primary, secondary, and tertiary. If the primary bud, which contains most of the flowering clusters is lost the secondary buds will grow in its place. As a result of this, the loss of production could be as high as 50%.

We will be in the vineyards the next couple of weeks collecting samples of buds and dissecting them so we can estimate the percentage of crop loss. Not only has this harsh winter raised our concern of the crop production but has also hampered our efforts to inspect and repair the trellis. Like everyone else we are anxiously awaiting warmer temperatures and the melting of snow. I know it's just a matter of time, so until then, another glass of wine.