Midwest Wine Press

Freeze Damage Concerns In Minnesota

by · January 7, 2014

This week’s cold did not break records in Minnesota, but that does not mean that the weather did not get cold enough to kill or damage plants, including grapes. Temperatures got as low as -23F in the Twin Cities Sunday night and as low as -40F in the northern reaches of Minnesota.   The last time it got this cold in Minnesota, or the Midwest, was during 1996 when wine grapes were much less common than today.

An article in yesterday’s Minneapolis Star Tribune quotes leading sources at the University of Minnesota who expect there will be some freeze damage this year.  (That the Star-Tribune would write a story about Minnesota wine grape damage is noteworthy in itself and shows how far the industry has come.)  On the bright side,  Peter Hemstad of the University said that the recent cold might create demand for cold hardy grapes from growers farther south seeking protection from an occasionally misplaced polar vortex.  As of this writing, the temperature in Minneapolis is 3F and many locals are reportedly taking advantage of the warm spell to enjoy outdoor activities.

See: Local Grapes Brace For Possible Damage 

 

 

 

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Mark Ganchiff

Mark Ganchiff is the publisher of Midwest Wine Press, the leading source of news on the growing wine industry in the central United States. Mark has been a wine judge at the 2012 and 2014 INDY International Wine Competition, the 2014 Cold Climate Wine Competition, the 2013 Mid-American Wine Competition, the 2012 Illinois State Fair Wine Competition and the 2013 Michigan Wine Competition. He also enjoys speaking at wine events including the Cold Climate Wine Conference, the Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Association Annual Meeting, the Midwest Grape and Wine Conference and the Wisconsin Fruit and Vegetable Conference. Mark's articles about regional wine have appeared in Vineyard & Winery Management, WineMaker and several regional magazines. Mark is a Level One Sommelier in the Court of Master Sommeliers. He lives in Louisville, but also has a residence in Chicago.

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