The vines are now dormant. In the last weeks of September growth came to a halt and the canes began to lignify (become woody). I dehydrated the vines to promote this lignification, then after the first frost I gave the ground one final shot of water to help protect the roots over the winter. I then drained the irrigation system, and just in time, too, because the nighttime temperature dropped rapidly and for a short period was in the mid-teens at night.
So now we will see how well the vines survive the winter cold. Winter temperatures in Moses Lake normally differ little from other Eastern Washington locations, including wine-growing regions of Walla Walla, the Yakima Valley and Quincy (30 miles west). However, in those years when the temperature gets freaky cold, a nearby unfrozen body of water can help moderate the extreme lows, and that is why many vineyards are clustered around the Columbia and Yakima Rivers (and Lake Chelan, for that matter). But the biggest single factor for minimizing winter damage is having a site with good "air drainage," where cold low-lying air moves downhill away from your vineyard to pool in lower areas below. And of course, it's important to have planted grape varieties which are relatively winter hardy and cold tolerant. We're in good shape on both counts, and I believe most if not all of the plants will do just fine. I'm already looking forward to spring!
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