Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/66144
WineEast Low winter temperature episodes per decade PENNSYLVANIA <1 1-2 2-3 3-5 5-10 10-20 20 and over Pa. county boundaries Number of times temperature is equal to or below -8ºF in 10 years. vania, I found myself shrugging my shoulders so much they got sore. That's not a good feeling. Between the effects of climate change, grow- ing grapes on the threshold of survival, the availability of new hybrid varieties for which little is known about best cultural practices and yet another bizarre growing season, it's very hard to explain everything that is happening in the vineyard. The growers I encounter always have many questions, and unfortunately I have few answers for them. Vineyards, as a general rule, are filled with conundrums and compromises. At Sugar Hollow Vineyard, winegrower Paul Milnes wondered about the relative necessity of hilling up, which creates serious erosion channels on his hillside site. Do you protect the vine or the soil? Another question asked was: With vineyard soils satu- rated from heavy rains and tractor access limited, should the cover crop be mowed for frost avoidance? Defining cool and cold Cool and cold can be defined as a cool growing season that limits fruit ripening and a cold winter that threatens the vines with winter TitanRack_Nov09.qxd 9/29/09 10:50 AM Page 1 PENNSYLVANIA Frost-free period (days) <120 120-135 135-150 150-165 165-180 Pa. county boundaries 180-195 195-210 210-225 225-240 240-255 Days between last occurrence of 28ºF in the spring and first in the fall. injury. In this relationship, cool areas may not necessarily be cold, but cold areas are always cool. But when does warm turn to cool and cool become cold? I'm not sure the differences can be exactly quantified. The growing degree-day system seems inadequate to the task. Some benchmarks may offer hints: Germany, Champagne, Burgundy and northwest Spain are cool; Bordeaux, Piedmont and Tuscany are warm; parts of southern France, southern Italy and Spain are warm to hot. In between these seasons is the danger of frost in the spring and fall. None of these regions has the regular risk of winter injury that exists above the Mason-Dixon line. Frost and freeze injury are often induced by similar climate, site and viticultural conditions. They also are avoided using strategies such as avoiding low spots where cold air pools and causes damage and excess soil moisture can delay proper vine acclimation. I'll use frost and freeze interchange- ably throughout this article, although they are physiologically very different events to the vine. BUCorp_Dec10.qxp 9/20/10 4:27 PM Page 1 Why Pay Freight From California? A DIVISION OF TITAN TUBE FABRICATORS, INC. TITAN-RACK Double Bar Two Barrel Rack Portable Four Barrel Rack Double Bar Steel Barrel Racks From St. Louis • Move more Barrels, cut handling time • Utilize air space, save floor space • Prevent product damage • Powder coat paint SAVES MONEYin Freight • Central Location Over 30 years of experience in solving material handling needs 5739 NATURAL BRIDGE AVE. ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI 63120-1696 TELEPHONE (314) 381-2828 FAX (314) 381-5908 1-888-WE-R-RACKS (1-888-937-7225) www.titanrack.com email: komoran@titanrack.com Wines & Vines AUGUsT 2011 51 Removable Center Rack Half Rack Let Our Central Location, ST. LOUIS, Save You BIG Money ALL MAPS: AN-MIN WU/PENN STATE