(Wines&Vines) - From Iowa to New England, the winter of 2014 was unusually cold. New York was no exception, and it endured a series of low-temperature episodes in January and February that resulted in significant bud injury in many vineyards. Cold-sensitive vinifera grape varieties were damaged across the state, and the extreme cold affected even cold-hardy northern varieties such as the Minnesota and Cornell hybrids grown in the Thousand Islands region of northern New York.

In late August, state agriculture commissioner Richard A. Ball announced that New York’s farm wineries would be permitted to purchase grapes and juice from outside the state because “a loss of grapes of 40% or more has occurred for the 15 grape varieties, due to adverse weather conditions during the winter of 2013-14.” The specific varieties that are covered by commissioner Ball’s announcement include vinifera varieties Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Gamay Noir, Gewürztraminer, Lemberger, Merlot, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Riesling and Syrah as well as the cold-hardy hybrids Brianna, Frontenac, La Crescent and Noiret.

Commissioner Ball based his decision on two surveys conducted by Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE). First, CCE sent out a brief online survey to New York grapegrowers, asking for an estimate of the reduction in yield from a “normal” crop, the acreage of each variety and a three-year average tonnage from their vineyards by variety. A total of 65 responses were received, representing 209 vinifera and 159 hybrid blocks. The results for cold-sensitive vinifera cultivars showed average crop reduction of more than 40% for 10 varieties. More severe injury was reported in the Lake Erie region, while Long Island growers noted little or no winter injury-related crop reduction. Growers estimated crop reduction of more than 40% for six of 33 hybrid cultivars, all of which were cold-climate varieties grown in the North Country region.