Baby it's cold outside...

It isn’t often that I worry about this years harvest in January, but this year is already looking grim. On January 17 Wolf Creek experienced a record low of-13.8 0 F., and Troutman Vineyards recorded a numbing -16.3 0 F . It is the lowest temperature recorded at the winery since at least 1994, and well below last years minimum of only 00F.

What does this extreme weather mean for the vineyard? As the temperature drops the cold begins to freeze and ultimately kill the buds of the vine. Luckily for wine lovers, inside of each grape bud there are three mini-buds. It’s a survival mechanism that grapes have developed over millions of years of evolution. It’s kind of like skydiving with three parachutes. If the main shoot fails there is a back-up, and then a back-up if the back-up fails.

The primary mini-bud is the largest shoot, first to start growing, and the most fruitful in each bud. This is what deploys in a normal year, and gives us a nice healthy crop like 2008. The secondary mini-bud deploys if the primary shoots is damaged, like when there's a late spring frost. However, this second mini-bud has considerably less fruit, and thus a smaller crop than normal. If both the primary and secondary buds get zapped then the third shoot will sprout, but this rarely has any fruit. Thus, yielding no crop at all. If all the buds are damaged then the vine crashes into the ground, and plant sweet corn.

Fortunately, the entire vineyard isn’t calling for a medic quite yet. I’ve taken cuttings from each variety, and if I slice the buds just right I can make an estimate of how many buds are healthy or damaged. It destroys the buds I sample, but it gives me an idea of how to prune the vines and what to expect this year.

Sampling is indicating heavy damage on the Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, and Vidal Blanc varieties. However, other varieties including Vignoles, and Delaware look pretty normal. The biggest surprise may be Pinot Gris, which sustained only moderate damage. I expected the European varieties to sustain more damage than the more hardy American varieties.

Unfortunately, I already know this year's crop will be small. Until the vines start growing in May I just won’t know how small the crop will be for 2009.

Until then I will cross my fingers, hope for some early tulips, and keep on bottling the wines from 2008.

Cheers