Bud break April 10 2010
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, but I have yet to see any pictures.

New York growers — please send us pictures of budbreak in your vineyards. We'll post anything we get.

Obviously this is an early start to the growing season, but all the news isn't bad. If there isn't a frost event this spring, 2010 could be a long growing season, which could mean added ripeness.

But, there's a lot that can happen between now and harvest. Stay tuned.