U.S. Southern Vineyards See Frost

Filed in archive Vineyards on April 11, 2007

It's already up to the mid-80s today, so it's just so hard to remember that not but a few days ago we were actually experiences cold weather, not just cool weather, down south....in April! This is about the time of year our snow-birds move back up north to avoid the heat. Unfortunately, the cold weather, in some cases even frost, was a major blow to vineyards, such as these reported on in Georgia:

A number of the state's vineyards suffered the effects of subfreezing temperatures from a polar air mass over the weekend, leaving at least one producer worried if there will be a 2007 vintage. "Everything that had green growth on it, which was about 85 percent of our vineyard, was a total loss," said David Harris of Blackstock Vineyards in Lumpkin County. Over the past decade, a cluster of wineries has been established in the Frogtown community north of Dahlonega. Last year was a banner year, a stark contrast to the uncertainty of this year.

"What was unusual was how hot it was in March," Harris said. "We had a mild winter and the heat we got in March had a more dramatic effect than if we had been coming out of a cold winter."

The result was a bud break two to three weeks ahead of normal.

On Friday, bright green foliage was evident throughout the Lumpkin County wine region. By Saturday morning, however, the leaves were withered and burned by the freezing cold.

Doug Paul of nearby Three Sisters Winery called the situation the worst.

"We will see secondary buds in two to three weeks. However, we might not even have a 2007 vintage in Georgia," Paul said.

It will be the secondary buds that will provide a clear indication of both the damage and the prospects for this year's crop.