Frost in the Vineyard

The triple demands of life intersected last night.   Tired from my day job, but warmly enscnced in my Toronto den and watching the NHL Playoff game with my Hockey Daughter, I also monitored a frost warning in Prince Edward County (via Twitter #PECfrost).

A hard frost in late Spring  is bad for the vineyard.  In a matter of an hour, Frost can transform green and pink buds into slimy goo.  The vines will push new buds, but they will produce only half the fruit.  That’s why it makes sense for many vineyards to put up wind machines that blow warmer air down onto the field.  Or for vineyards to burn haybales to try to stir up the cold air.

Sounds like a lot of vineyards saw frost in the County last night.  Wind machines spun at Sugarbush and the Grange, haybales burned at Lacey’s and Karlo’s, and coffee was consumed everywhere.  Part of me wanted to jump in my car and zip out to the County to join the 2 am battle against Jack Frost.

But the saner side of me decided to rely on hope and luck.   After all, I have to be alert to focus on Work early today.  Hopefully the higher elevation of our little piece of land shrugged the cold air away.  Perhaps we’ll be lucky!