Wines & Vines

February 2018 WINES&VINES 73 WINE EAST WINE INDUSTRY NEWS L ancaster, Pa.—On Christmas Day, severe cold weather moved into the Upper Mid- west, the East and New England, with low temperatures dipping into negative numbers in many areas. The bone-chilling weather remained in these regions for more than two weeks. In Indi anapolis, Ind., tempera- tures dropped to -12° F on Jan. 2, the coldest morning for that date since 1887. In Minneapolis, Minn., the temperature on New Year's Eve dropped to -11° F. On Jan. 3, a storm system that brought snow to Georgia and South Carolina moved up the At- lantic Coast and became a "bomb cyclone." Weather forecasters use this term when a low-pressure system undergoes bombogenesis, a rapid drop in atmospheric pres- sure of 24 millibars or more in 24 hours. Winter Storm Grayson (as the bomb cyclone was subse- quently named) hit Long Island, N.Y., with more than a foot of snow, frigid temperatures, winds gusting to more than 60 mph, and unusually high tides. With this long stretch of un- usually cold temperatures, grape- growers in the Upper Midwest and the East naturally wonder if the vines had acclimated to the deep freeze. Were the grapevines prepared? Bryan Hed, research technologist at Penn State University's Lake Erie Regional Grape Research and Extension Center in North East, Pa., said at the time, "Tempera- tures have been dropping gradu- ally, and I think the vines have had plenty of time to acclimate to the single-digit temps we're getting now. What concerns me is the pos- sibility of dropping below -5° F on Saturday (Jan. 6). When temps get below that, Vitis vinifera buds can begin to perish." According to Dr. Tim Martin- son, senior extension associate at Cornell University, "Acclimation works best when it happens slowly," as it did this fall in the Fin- ger Lakes. He didn't think the sus- tained period of cold weather early in January would be devastating to the vines. "I'd be more con- cerned if it warmed up to 50° F for four days," he said. Dr. Jim Meyers, extension specialist with Cornell Coopera- tive Extension in eastern New York, reported that the Cham- plain region had experienced some -20° F temperature events. "That's not good," he said, but he was more concerned about the -10° F temperatures in the Hudson Valley, where the Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Riesling and other vinifera varieties were at risk for bud damage. Ron Wates, vineyard manager at Boordy Vineyards in Hydes, Md., told Wines & Vines that he started pruning in mid-December because the vines had hardened off by then. What concerns Wates is the "climate mood swings" that may occur over the remainder of the winter. —Linda Jones McKee Were Midwest and Eastern Vines Ready for Bomb Cyclone? You know how good your Zinfandel is... Promote your wines to leading Zinfandel enthusiasts and extend your winery's relationship in the market. JoinUs! We are champions of Zinfandel— America's Heritage Wine Become part of our proud legacy zinfandel.org • 530-274-4900 Zinfandel Advocates & Producers is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. ZAP is dedicated to advancing public knowledge of and appreciation for American Zinfandel and its unique place in our culture and history. - B E C O PA D - Y E A S T & E N Z Y M E S - C R U S H PA D E Q U I P M E N T - S T E R I L E F I LT R AT I O N - W I N E R Y H O S E - O A K A LT E R N AT I V E S EASTERN WINE LABS Serving the Analytical needs of East Coast Wineries WWW.EASTERNWINELABS.COM Ph 609-859-4302 Cell 609-668-2854 chemist@easternwinelabs.com AOAC Member A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration satellite captures the "bomb cyclone" hitting the East Coast in early January.

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