Hello everyone, Bacchus here. Well if it is not super cold like last winter it is super snowy. And if the spring is wet like last then it is dry, and if the temperatures are somewhat normal like last spring then they are warmer and earlier this year. So goes farming. With that said here is an update starting with temperatures. The two coldest months this winter were January and February with a low of -2 Fahrenheit on January 10^th and -3 Fahrenheit on February 8^th. Temperatures like those are well within the tolerance range for those varieties of grapes that we grow. As mentioned in previous letters the vinifera varieties Cabernet Franc and Riesling are tolerant to -5 to -10 Fahrenheit. As an aside we are planting another vinifera called Lemberger, a full bodied deep red with rich tannins that has a cold tolerance in that same range. So, the temperatures were good to us. Ugh the snow. Well, while it was difficult for us to carry on operations it was great for the vines. The foot or so of snow covering the base of the vines actually severed as an excellent insulator against the cold. However, for us to keep open we were forced to purchase a tractor mounted snow thrower. It’s fun to watch as long as you are not the operator….Brrrrrrr. Moving forward to spring it is interesting to note that while the high temperatures for last year January to April were close to the same this year, the average high for April this year was over 4 degrees warmer thus leading to an early bud break. For the last two year buds were generally breaking open around April 20^th. This year most buds were opening around April 4^th. Already in April we have had temperatures as low as 29 on the 10^th, 33 on the 18^th, 32 on the 19^th, and 30 on the 28^th. The last average frost free date for our area is May 15^th. Last year we recorded 36 degrees on the 18^th of May and in 2008 the temperature got down to 39 on May 28^th! Think we are losing some sleep? One of the techniques we use to give us a chance against these freezes though is the way we prune. As we have discussed in a previous issue each year we have to prune to remove dead wood and extra growth to keep our vines in balance. On April 17^th our vineyard session on pruning went over the whys and how’s of pruning techniques. For those who attended the pruning session on April 17^th Bacchus says thanks. Our method intentionally leaves more buds and canes than the vine can safely support should we leave it on the vine through the season. In doing this we can counteract the loss of some buds and shoots with the extra we have left. We can go back through the vines after the danger of freeze has passed and readjust our bud count to bring the vine in balance. It takes more time to do this but at this time this is the only insurance policy we have. We are exploring using sprayed water to coat the shoots with ice to insulate them against lower temperatures.

Fortunately our pruning technique has given us a chance because there was damage to a number of the new shoots on some of the more advance growing vines such as Marechal Foch, Seyval, Cabernet Franc, and Riesling. If we do not get another freeze event we should have enough extra growth to see us through. The nice thing about Marechal Foch and Seyval is that they will put out some secondary growth and fruit. The downside is that you have uneven ripening as some of the primary buds will ripen weeks before the secondary which means multiple picking, but we will not complain about that. Finally, even though we have much pruning remaining we have had to start our spray routine for fungicides. Because of the early growth we are two weeks ahead of when we would normally start. If we do not start now we are in danger of getting the various mildews (powdery and downy) and black rot that could ruin the crop. On the bright side this is going to be a spectacular year!! Bacchus is rested and eager to make exceptional grapes for winemaker Eric. Talk to you later in the season. Cheers!