Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/830382
June 2017 WINES&VINES 59 WINE EAST WINE INDUSTRY NEWS L ancaster, Pa.—From Colo- rado to New Jersey and Michigan to Texas, growers, extension agents and winemakers all are describing the winter of 2016-17 as "mild." Two notable exceptions were Minnesota, where temperatures hit the lowest point for the winter in December, and Texas, which had "the hottest win- ter on record. Ever," according to Matthew Cook, viticulture exten- sion specialist at the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. "That started the season quite early, so we've been seeing early signs of fungal disease. And we've had some rough weather already." Cook told Wines & Vines, "North Texas had baseball-size hail when the first tornados blew through March 26 and 27. That's early for tornados." He continued, "The High Plains got hit pretty hard (on Easter weekend). They received hail for a couple hours straight. A lot of growers there lost a substantial part of their crop. Some missed it, some got it." Minnesota's winter tempera- ture extremes started early. On Dec. 18, the thermometer dropped to -24° F, a very low temperature for that early in the winter. Dr. Mat- thew Clark, assistant professor of grape breeding and enology at the University of Minnesota, reported that cold temperatures persisted into January, but there was a warm spell in February. Temperatures rose to 66° F on March 6 and then dropped to 4° F on March 10, but "there wasn't much damage after that March event." Marquette and Frontenac had 92% bud survival, while Itasca and Frontenac Gris were at 98%. Maréchal Foch did not fare as well, with only a 58% bud survival. "We're close to last year's schedule," Clark said. "But earlier than the typical season by a bit." Midwest: Michigan had a "normal" winter, while weather in Iowa was very mild and Illinois was "pretty mild." Mike White, viticulture special- ist with the Iowa State University Wine East Covering Eastern North America Eastern Growing Regions Report Mild Winter—with Exceptions What sets us apart? The Waterloo Container Team EXPERIENCE • Family Owned and Operated since 1980 • Extensive Expertise in the Wine Packaging Industry • Total Package Provider • Commitment to Customer Service • Customized printing, sleeving and packaging 888-539-3922 • waterloocontainer.com Baseball-size hail litters the ground at Sawhorse Vineyards in Argyle, Texas, where a hailstorm hit March 26. ELLEN MALONE/SAWHORSE VINEYARDS