Below average temperatures, a heat wave and then a frost advisory all in one month? It must be spring in Wisconsin. The back and forth weather can be a bear for our state’s fruit growers, including in the vineyard.
Philippe Coquard operates Wollersheim Winery in Prairie Du Sac with his family. He says the spring started off with below normal temperatures, putting Wollersheim three weeks behind schedule, but the heatwave earlier this month caused buds to leaf out in just 24 hours — Coquard says that is “unheard of.”
The drought has not impacted the winery… yet. Coquard explains the vines are well-established with long root systems to reach moisture.
The recent frost advisory in southern Wisconsin did cause an initial scare. Coquard said the winery started up its wind machine — an apparatus that stirs the air — early Monday morning to stir the air and prevent cold air from settling and damaging the vines. The temperature at Wollersheim Winery read just over 33 degrees. He told Mid-West Farm Report that after having discussions with growers in other areas of the state, he did not hear of any permanent frost damage.
Now the winery is just a week behind if not on track, and the family is optimistic for a good crop this year. This time of year, Wollersheim is planting new vines to replace older ones, and they will soon begin “suckering” — removing weak or poorly located vine shoots.
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