Anyone living on Long Island knows how cool this spring has been. It’s warming up though and today I started to see bud break pictures from across Long Island wine country in my Twitter feed. As I see or receive more pictures, I’ll make sure to add them to this post. Petit Verdot at Macari Vineyards Pinot Blanc at Lieb Cellars Cabernet Franc at Shinn Estate Vineyards Cabernet Franc at Bedell Cellars Teroldego at Southold Farm + Cellar
It’s that time of year again. Despite a cool, somewhat dreary spring bud break has hit the North Fork. David Page, co-owner of Shinn Estate Vineyards, sent me this picture earlier this afternoon from their cabernet franc block. Good luck to all of our friends tending vines this season.
Winemaker Matt Spacarelli sends this picture of baco noir bud break in Benmarl Winery’s 50-year old estate baco vineyard.
What was mere speculation and conjecture just a few weeks ago is now a reality on the North Fork. Shinn Estate Vineyards’ David Page sent me this photo this morning of bud break in their estate merlot vineyard, marking what appears to be the earliest bud break Long Island wine country has ever seen. The grape-growing process is a marathon, not a sprint, but the North Fork is certainly out of the gate early. Now local growers get to stress over nighttime low temperatures for the next month or so, hoping to avoid crippling frosts that could decimate their crops. Hopefully we’ll get…
The earliest anyone can remember seeing bud break in Long Island vineyards was mid-April in 2010 — a vintage that ended up being one of the longest and warmest on record. Bud break in 2010 was about two weeks earlier than average. But, after a mild winter and with temperatures currently in the upper-50s and 60s this week — Long Island vineyards coudl see bud break even earlier in 2012. “The potential for an early budbreak this year appears higher than normal. If the weather continues to trend the way it has over the winter season it is increasingly likely that an early…
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,…
Matt and Jen at Peconic Bay Winery sent me this picture this morning. It was taken last evening in their vineyard on Route 25 near the winery. These are vines that are so close to bud break it’s ridiculous. I’m always looking for nice shots of East End wine country. So, if you take any great pictures when you’re visiting the wineries, please do send them along. And, in the next couple of days, I’ll be announcing yet another new contributor to LENNDEVOURS…this time a photographer.