Journal | January 24, 2026

Winegrower’s Weather Worries

The weather we are currently experiencing brings with it some angst.  But what exactly do winegrowers worry about?

The Vines

Snow is not a problem for the vines. In fact it can be helpful. Snow insulates the base of the vines. Most vines are grafted and that graft union is usually positioned just a few inches above the ground.  We are also in a drought, so melting snow replenishes moisture. Some posit that snow also adds nitrogen to the soil which is an important nutrient. But I’m not so sure about this.

Ice is not a problem as vines are trellised and rarely break. Vines don’t care about wind chill, but they do care about what the mercury reads. This will be a very cold week with nighttime temperatures consistently falling to the single digits (Fahrenheit).  My experience is that this should not be much of a problem as the cold is coming at a good time. In January, the vines are at maximum hardiness. Back in the last century we would start to worry when the temps dropped to below -5F. Our coldest morning here at Hardscrabble was -13F (1994). We had almost no crop, but the vines survived.

The Wines

We worry about losing power for a very extended period of time under these circumstances. Wine freezes at about 22 to 23F depending on the alcohol content. Frozen wine in the bottle will expand.  The cork will push and the bottle could crack. Most of our wine is cellared in the cellar (is that a pun?). But we do have one large storage area that is above ground and requires heat. This would keep me up at night.

The Winegrower

Tractors and plows are in the ready position. Bath tub full of water (no power, no well water). Firewood stacked and ready. Woodstove cranked. Wine in the glass. Cross country skis by the door.

Let it snow.

---

Linden Vineyards / Learn More / Latest at Linden | Hardscrabble Journal: January 24, 2026