(Wines&Vines) - From Colorado to New Jersey and Michigan to Texas, growers, extension agents and winemakers all are describing the winter of 2016-17 as “mild,” in many cases for the second year in a row. Two exceptions were Minnesota, where temperatures hit the lowest point for the winter in December, and Texas, which had “the hottest winter on record. Ever,” according to Matthew Cook, viticulture extension specialist at the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. He reported, “That started the season quite early, so we’ve been seeing early signs of fungal disease. And we’ve had some rough weather already.”