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WineEast Cold plateau Vineyard Cold-air drainage 25ºF 30ºF 35ºF 40ºF 35ºF 30ºF 25ºF danger—yet another compromise. Avoid trees and anything that may impede the flow of air and water off the vineyard site. Shrubs and brush at the bottom of slopes should be removed so that a clear drainage path can be made. Relatively warm air Cold air "ponding" above tree line Illustration of local elevation effects on air drainage. cause problems. There are many cases when low-lying vineyards sustain damage while mid- to upper-slope sections are unharmed. If low spots should be avoided, placing vineyards on slopes should be encouraged. This motivates both air and water to flow away from the vineyard, thus lowering frost/freeze risk and encour- aging fruit ripening and vine acclimation. Some growers seek sites with up to 30% slope, but almost any amount of slope will help. Absolute elevation will have an impact on the risk of frost and/or freeze events. Higher elevations are generally cooler and will delay fruit ripening and possibly raise the risk of winter injury. In warm macroclimate regions, a higher and therefore cooler mesoclimate vineyard site may be preferable but increase frost and freeze GreenHoe_NewAd_1/4_9/22.qxp 9/28/09 9:30 AM Page 1 Aspect may be less important for frost and freeze, but in general a southeast to southwest orientation is preferred in cool- to cold- climate regions. In Europe, the further north the vineyards are, the more highly prized a south aspect becomes. Row orientation is ide- ally up and down a slope and north-south to northeast-southwest. An important trellis design feature is fruit wire height. Lower height encourages ripening in the growing season but increases frost and freeze risk. There are arguments about the relative virtue of single vs. multiple trunks. The latter is the traditional method in cold regions, but some claim the additional stored carbohydrates may increase early season vine vigor. Winter injury is extremely ran- dom, and it is very possible that on a vine with multiple trunks, one may be damaged and the other(s) unharmed. Compromises abound and risk tolerance enters the decision-making process. I encourage the use of multiple trunks in cold regions, with the Mason-Dixon line being the border between safe and sorry. Bud break delays Once the site has been selected and the vineyard designed and installed, then the viticultural practices will have impact on sus- ceptibility to frost and freeze events. Anything that can be done to ripen the fruit faster and, to some extent encourage later bud break, GREEN GRAPE HOE Specialized Tools For Vineyards Weed Control and In-Row cultivation Basic Hoe comes with a Hillup and a Takeaway Blade. Additional attach- ments include .3 Tooth Cultivator, Undercutter Blade, Green Hoe with Rotary Head Attachment Rotary head, "NEW" Rolling Cultivator and "New" Brush Rake for removing trimmings out from under the trellis. 6645 West Main Road Portland, NY 14769 PHONE (716) 792-9433 FAX (716) 792-9434 WWW.GREENHOECOMPANY.COM Fresh Corks Directly From Portugal 4th Generation Family Cork Producer All Natural Cork Closures Free Branding Free is Better Free Shipping Ask about our Progressive Discounts Phone (203) 681-7743 Cell (860) 335-0667 email: reliablecork@gmail.com www.reliablecorksolutions.com Wines & Vines sePTeMBeR 2011 49 TONY WOLF, VIRGINIA TECH