Last October, in the midst of Long Island grape harvest, we received over 17 inches of rain in an eight-day period.
Most of the white grapes had already been picked (thankfully) but some wineries lost some of their red grape crops. In fact, a couple lost it all and didn’t make red wine in 2005.
With rain, sometimes heavy rain, over the past several days, you can’t blame vineyard managers, winemakers and winery owners for being a little nervous. And, after a forecasted respite tomorrow, the remnants of Hurricane Ernesto arrive this weekend, bringing more rain.
It’s only the end of August, so there is still time for the grapes to recover before harvest. Let’s just hope these rains stop soon and we get a few days of full, warm sun and high winds.