By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief Photo courtesy of Whitecliff Vineyard & Winery Is this picture bud break? I'm not sure — I always think of bud break as when full, immature leaves separate from the bud and unfurl. By that definition, this would be bud swell, but it barely matters — the 2010 growing season is underway in New York. Yesterday, I stopped at Roanoke Vineyards on the North Fork and their vines looked much the same… the buds were extremely swollen but I didn't see any separation. I've heard that Shinn Estate Vineyards and Benmarl Winery have experienced official break,…
Posts Tagged“vineyards”
Oh, Snap: Cold Temps Not Low Enough for Severe Damage
By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Correspondent Last week, Dave Wiemann, the vineyard manager of Sheldrake Point Vineyard on Cayuga Lake, conducted a test to find out if the viciously cold temperatures had destroyed buds on his vines. He went to the coldest part of Sheldrake Point's 43 acres and cut ten canes of Riesling. He soaked the canes in water for 48 hours, then cut the buds. He was hoping to see green — a sign that the buds were still alive and well. He feared he could see the deadly black that signals a victory for the weather. The…
Duncan Ross Interview at AppellationAmerica.com
So what have you heard about the wines coming out of the Niagara Escarpment? Isn’t it way too cold up there to grow grapes? Actually no and I didn’t know much about the region either until I really started to research the region as I prepared for my interview with Duncan Ross, founder of and winemaker for Arrowhead Spring Vineyard. It turns out that the Escarpment itself–the geological feature, not the region–is the very reason why they can ripen grapes fully so close to the Canadian border. In fact, it’s the second warmest region in New York state. Long Island…
Wineries for Sale — It’s Just a Natural Progression
You’ve probably heard that two more local wine producers – Sherwood House Vineyards and Lieb Family Cellars – have put property up for sale. Dr. Charles and Barbara Smithen, current owners of Sherwood House, are asking $4.1 million for their 36-acre Mattituck property, while Mark and Kathy Lieb are asking $7.75 million for their vineyard house and 47.5 acres of property in Cutchogue. Houses and property go on the market every day. So what’s the big deal? Well, some onlookers are worried that these newest properties, joining Ackerly Pond Vineyards, Castello di Borghese, Galluccio Family Winery, Schneider…
Long Island Mid-Harvest Report
Last year’s grape harvest was remarkable both for the hot, dry conditions that lasted all summer long and the almost twenty inches of rain that was dumped on the East End over eight days right in the middle of harvest. White grapes were largely unaffected because they had already been picked, but many of the Island’s red grapes weren’t so lucky. That rain completely decimated some producers to the point where they didn’t make red wines last year at all. Others escaped mostly unscathed and have made some tremendous wines. There will be less 2005 red wine on shelves once…