Once Bitten, Twice Shy.
The weather was weird this year, or so I'm told. It got warm so early that the buds on the vines broke almost 2 months earlier than they typically do. Though it meant that it might be a long growing season, which allows for amazing wine, it left the door open for damage from frost. From what I remember, there were at least 3 frost advisories this year after we had full-scale budbreak in the white varietals and Cabernet Franc.
Two of those frost advisories didn't drop the temperatures low enough in our vineyard. As you're driving along Old Richmond Road, you'll notice that our vineyard is at the top of a small hill. That's great for keeping air moving through the vineyard and not letting the cold temperatures settle. It also allows for some great sunshine throughout the entire vineyard.
Finally, on the 27th of March, after two days of frost advisories, the cold enemy rolled in and damaged some of our plants. At first, parts of the leaves were stained white like someone ran around the vineyard with a small paintbrush. After a while, those leaves shriveled and died, and we were left with noticeable sections throughout the vineyard with dead, brown, frost damage. It took a few weeks to be able to see and tally all of the damage, which is why it is easier to discuss it now.
It seems like our 1-year-old white grape vines took the most damage. You can barely see the vines in the following pictures, because the leaves are brown and shriveled. 1-year-old plants aren't very big yet. Since their buds and leaves are closest to the ground, where the cold air settles, it's no big surprise that they were the most damaged.
The good news is that the frost did fairly little damage overall. It was seen on about 10% of our plants, and for those plants that were at least 2-years-old, its damage was sporadic instead of total. Months later, you have to really look for the remnants of frost damage, since everything is growing so quickly and so full.
Next time you're out at the tasting room, ask us if it's alright to take a walk in the vines. We'll let you know if there's anything to look out for, and you can discover this all for yourself.
In Vino Veritas,
The Winemaker's Apprentice
The weather was weird this year, or so I'm told. It got warm so early that the buds on the vines broke almost 2 months earlier than they typically do. Though it meant that it might be a long growing season, which allows for amazing wine, it left the door open for damage from frost. From what I remember, there were at least 3 frost advisories this year after we had full-scale budbreak in the white varietals and Cabernet Franc.
Two of those frost advisories didn't drop the temperatures low enough in our vineyard. As you're driving along Old Richmond Road, you'll notice that our vineyard is at the top of a small hill. That's great for keeping air moving through the vineyard and not letting the cold temperatures settle. It also allows for some great sunshine throughout the entire vineyard.
Finally, on the 27th of March, after two days of frost advisories, the cold enemy rolled in and damaged some of our plants. At first, parts of the leaves were stained white like someone ran around the vineyard with a small paintbrush. After a while, those leaves shriveled and died, and we were left with noticeable sections throughout the vineyard with dead, brown, frost damage. It took a few weeks to be able to see and tally all of the damage, which is why it is easier to discuss it now.
It seems like our 1-year-old white grape vines took the most damage. You can barely see the vines in the following pictures, because the leaves are brown and shriveled. 1-year-old plants aren't very big yet. Since their buds and leaves are closest to the ground, where the cold air settles, it's no big surprise that they were the most damaged.
The good news is that the frost did fairly little damage overall. It was seen on about 10% of our plants, and for those plants that were at least 2-years-old, its damage was sporadic instead of total. Months later, you have to really look for the remnants of frost damage, since everything is growing so quickly and so full.
Next time you're out at the tasting room, ask us if it's alright to take a walk in the vines. We'll let you know if there's anything to look out for, and you can discover this all for yourself.
In Vino Veritas,
The Winemaker's Apprentice
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