Atwater Vineyards / February 26, 2026
During winter, the vineyard team is busy pruning the vines, and it’s been progressing nicely over the past few weeks. We’ll likely be 90% complete by the end of the month. We’ve also had a number of questions about the impact of the cold weather on vine health. Typically, we don’t worry much about bud damage unless it drops below -5° F. So far, the coldest temperature we have seen is -0.6° F. We are able to check on bud damage by taking sample cuttings and dissecting the buds to see if they are dead or alive. The samples we tested have looked very good, so we are not anticipating anything out of the ordinary. While extended periods of cold can feel a little oppressive to those of us who do the majority of our work outside, it is actually better for the vines to have consistently cold temperatures. Vines are highly adaptable plants and have systems that allow them to adjust to the weather. The colder it gets, the more resistant they become. Big swings in temperature in either direction can cause many more problems than steady, slow changes. So far, we are in pretty good shape!
