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Thinking about planting a vineyard   or   have a vineyard ?  ...  some information to consider

Cold Temperature Information for your Site

• USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map  -- from the United States National Arboretum website

• Vermont Hardiness Map - from Leonard Perry's publication

• Winter Low Temperatures in Vermont-- at this NOAA site,  you can select "Monthly Extremes",  a location, the time span of 1971-2000, and then conduct a low temperature search.  It will give the lowest recorded temperature by month at the selected site.

• Freeze/Frost Occurrence Data -   this large NOAA document lists the dates of  Freeze/Frost  in the spring and fall with probability levels for different towns across the USA.   Vermont towns are listed on pages 366-367.

• Average Frost/Freeze Dates for Some Locations in Vermont and  New York -- a NOAA site.

• Link to Critical Temperatures during Grape Bud Development -- A Michigan State University webpage that shows temperatures which will cause 50% bud kill if they occur from bud swell to the expanded shoot stage

Cold Climate Cultivar Information

• University of Minnesota Grape website - descriptions of  cold climate grape cultivars

• Another University of MN Grape Website with descriptions of cold climate grape cultivars

• Minnesota Grape Growers Association website -  descriptions of some cold hardy grape cultivars

• "Less Risky Varieties, Old and New" - by  Bruce I. Reisch and Steve Luce, NYS Agricultural Experiment Station, Cornell University, Geneva, New York.  A presentation to the Finger Lakes Grape Growers' Convention, March 4, 2005.  Note: Some of the cultivars may not be hardy enough for very cold areas. 

• University of MN Licensed Nurseries for Cold Hardy Grapes

Viticulture Resources     

These references include information on site selection, planting and early care of a vineyard,  pruning and training,  vineyard maintenance, etc.

• Dormant Grapevine Pruning presentations by Fritz Westover of Virginia Tech and Virginia Cooperative Extension.  These are very descriptive slide presentations with audio that provide the basics.  Note that it was developed for a warmer grape growing region which has different grape varieties but the presentations are very educational.   [You may need to download a free program to see and hear the presentations.]

                Part 1: Grapevine anatomy and vine balance Macromedia Breeze Presentation

                Part 2: Selecting fruitful wood and balanced pruning Macromedia Breeze Presentation

                Part 3: Cold climate pruning strategies Macromedia Breeze Presentation

• Presentations by Dr. Paul Domoto, Iowa State University, who was the featured guest speaker at the 2007 Cold Climate Grape Workshop,  UVM Hort. Res. Center, August 29, 2007:   "Considering a Vineyard?",   "Vineyard Site Preparation & Trellis Systems",  "Evaluating Cold Climate Grapes",   "Table of Grape Characteristics"

• Michigan State University Extension publications:  Vineyard Establishment I:  Preplant Decisions   and   Vineyard Establishment II:   Planting and Early Care of Vineyards

• The Mid-Atlantic Winegrape Grower's Guide -  a comprehensive resource

• Midwest Grape Production Guide, Bulletin 919  --  a comprehensive resource

• Gateway to Cornell Grape Resources - an extensive  list of viticulture resources

• Cornell Grape Pages - links to various viticulture publications

• Growing Grapes in Indiana - by Bruce Bordelon, Purdue University

• Fruit Growth Stage Reference  -- pictures and description of the stages of seasonal fruit and vine growth developed by  Michigan State University Extension

Please send comments and suggestions to: lorraine.berkett@uvm.edu

Website design by Sarah L. Kingsley-Richards, 2004