Disaster designation to aid Finger Lakes vineyards

(DC) - Finger Lakes vineyard and winery owners are bracing for the worst, following a frigid winter that may cut the 2014 harvest by as much as 30 percent.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has declared disaster designations in 19 upstate New York counties — including Ontario, Seneca, Steuben, Tompkins, Wayne and Yates in the Finger Lakes region — where the severe winter caused extensive damage to vineyards.

The designation allows the USDA to provide reimbursements to vineyards through the federal Tree Assistance Program.

That would be a welcome relief for John Brahm, co-owner of Arbor Hill Winery and Grapery in Ontario County. "My crop, even on a hearty vine, could be down 20 to 25 percent," Brahm said Wednesday.

Scientists at Cornell University found damaged buds in test studies of grapevines, according to a statement from U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer. That suggests the harsh temperatures damaged more than half of the buds that produce fruit, and makes vine damage highly likely, the statement said.

Brahm said the drastically low temperatures — those lower than 10 below zero — in certain regions could have caused severe bud and trunk injury to the vines. Though the temperatures can affect crops differently, severe cold is particularly damaging for already winter-tender varieties such as Merlot and Cabernet Franc.

"It's very hard to give a prognostication because we won't know until June," Brahm said of the damage to the 2014 yield. "We do know that those varieties that are winter sensitive are more likely to have that kind of injury."

Brahm, who has been in the wine industry for more than 20 years, said he is grateful for last year's season, which produced a bumper crop of grapes, providing a cushion in case this season's harvest goes south