Post Freeze report: Nova Scotia Wine Grape Initial Impact Assessment

At the beginning of February Nova Scotia was widely hit by a freeze event, having some differences in a couple places, and damaging many crops, including grapevines. In the case of vineyards many factors played a role on their damage, such as the historically warm start of winter, and the impact on the bud acclimation, which effected hybrids and Vitis vinifera in different ways.

• Did you know the difference between winter advective freeze and winter inversion event?
• Did you know that December 2022 and January 2023 have been the warmest on record?
• How can the warm temperatures impact bud acclimatation?
• Which is the bud viability of primary and secondary buds in Vitis vinifera and hybrids?

All this information and more can be found in the following article.

Please check February 3 - 4, 2023 Post Freeze Report: Nova Scotia Wine Grape Initial Impact Assessment or the hyperlink https://www.perennia.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Feb-2023-Wine-grape-post-freeze-report_AAFC-Perennia_21Feb2023.pdf

Best Practices 5 recording available

Last Wednesday January 25 was held the Best Practices session 5, which was wrapping up of growing season 2022, and it’s currently available on YouTube channel of Perennia and the direct link in this publication.

"Les vignobles et les vins de la Nouvelle-Ecosse, Canada" January 18

Francisco Diez, Viticulture Specialist at Perennia, has been invited to present at ‘Chaire Unesco: Culture et Traditions du Vin’ in Dijon at Burgundy University. This presentation will be in French, and will take place next Wednesday January 18 at 14:30 Nova Scotia time (19:30 France time).

Best practices session 5

The growing season 2022 passed a couple of months ago with a good accumulation of heat units, a couple of weeks with lower precipitation and even a hurricane in the middle of harvest. We want to wrap up this Best Practices session with main observations from last growing season, observations from this current winter, bud hardiness values and a discussion between growers to know more from their perspective.

Seasonal update 2022: GDD, veraison is done, grape sampling and starting harvest!

Jeff Franklin from AAFC Kentville is sharing with us weather information with positive values of growing degree values like last week. Veraison is almost done in the latest Vitis vinifera varieties, such as Pinot noir and Riesling. Even though these last varieties are reaching this phenological stage, in some cases hybrids are starting to be harvested for specific wine styles. Just remember, it’s always important to reach the wineries to know which are the grape ripening requirements and when would be the best time to harvest the grapes.

Best Practices 4 recording available and Nova Scotia Sonic Device Policy - Wildlife Deterrent

Last Thursday September 1 evening, the Best Practices session 4 was held, and it’s currently available on YouTube channel of Perennia and the direct link in this publication. Moreover, in this last event the sonic devices in the vineyard were discussed, and you can find in this publication all the information related to the Sonic Device Policy.

Seasonal update 2022: veraison, tissue sampling, vineyard protection and Best Practices

Veraison is moving forward throughout the province, with the earliest hybrids starting a couple of weeks ago and now moving to the earliest Vitis vinifera varieties. With the beginning of veraison, grapes will start to change color, soften, accumulate sugar, decrease acids and other activities are moving along. Tissue sampling for nutritional purposes is one of them, start the protection of the vineyard with nets, kites and fences, and preparing to grape sampling to monitor the fruit ripening.

Best Practices Session 4

Already many grapes started veraison and others are going towards this stage, it’s a good time to collect tissue samples for nutritional purposes and start preparing netting to protect the crop. Moreover, it’s time for the next Best practices session!

Vineyard and Winery Labour Survey from WGNS and GGANS

Dear industry,

The Wine Growers of Nova Scotia and the Grape Growers of Nova Scotia are working on a pilot project to identify and quantify the impact of labour issues on the grape and wine industries. Perennia is supporting them in implementing the project with funding support from the Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture. 

The first component is an online survey.  We are asking all wineries and vineyards to please have only one representative from the business complete the survey.  It should take about 10 minutes.

If you can find that time in your busy schedules to complete by August 1, 2022 that would be very much appreciated. 

SURVEY LINK:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SR9ZW2L

Answers are completely confidential. Data shared at any time will be aggregate only.

The second component will be small focus groups that you will hear more about shortly.

Thank you so much for your attention to this important matter!

Season 2022: Weather update, cluster growing, downy mildew pressure and Best Practices recording

Jeff Franklin, from AAFC Kentville, is bringing the weather update in terms of temperature. The first half of the month already passed and brought an important amount of precipitation and heat units. Bloom already finished in most of the vineyards, but there can always be some places with exception. Earliest hybrids, always depending where in the province are located the vineyards, are almost have reached almost pepper-corn side berries. On the other hand, vinifera varieties, which are usually behind the hybrids, are at different stages depending on the variety and location.

Season 2022: Weather update, last part of bloom, tissue sampling and Best Practices

Jeff Franklin, from AAFC Kentville, is bringing the weather update in terms of temperature. The last couple of weeks we have mentioned the important amount of rain accumulated and July is already welcoming us with some rain. Generally speaking, the hybrids, always depending where in the province are located the vineyards, are almost done with bloom, with only a couple of exceptions are finishing the process. On the other hand, vinifera varieties, which are usually behind the hybrids, are still in progress and the latest varieties are blooming these days.

Best Practices Session 3

In our previous session at the beginning of June, we tackled many activities for the following weeks, such as shoot thinning, spray applications, weed management, the first wire movement, etc. Since a couple of weeks ago bloom started in early hybrids and still work in progress in the latest vinifera varieties, at this phenological stage it’s the right time for tissue sampling for nutrient analysis. Other activities are coming as well, and it’s a good time for the Best Practices session 3!

Best Practices session 2

Last week we had the session 2 of this season! At this time Jeff Wentzell from NSDA presented a Cost of Production Tool, Jeff Franklin from KRDC presented the weather information and linked it with the vineyard physiology and Francisco Diez presented the vineyard activities for the next couple of weeks. The session finished with a discussion between the panelist and Steve Ells, owner of Ellslea farm and president of GGANS, about his observations and management strategies in the vineyard.

Season 2022: Weather update, shoot thinning and Best Practices session 2

Jeff Franklin from AAFC Kentville is bringing the weather update, which is quite positive to keep grapevine growth in a proper way. Currently, the plants are growing in a good rate, especially the ones with earlier bud burst and on locations with warmer conditions. Mentioned last week, grapevines like Lucie Kuhlmann and Frontenac have been growing steadily and are already in shoot thinning process and in some cases even starting to tuck. In the case of vinifera varieties, the early ones are in shoot thinning process as well.

Best Practices Session 2

In the weekly climate updates, we have seen an increase of temperatures throughout May, this change has increased the plant growth and more action is coming to the vineyards. Shoot thinning, first spray applications, weed management, the first wire movement, etc. are coming in the next couple of weeks and it’s important to be at the top of the activities from the beginning. Moreover, it’s time for the Best Practices session 2!

Season 2022: Weather update, shoot growth and Weather Station Apps and Website Training Session recording

Jeff Franklin from AAFC Kentville is bringing the update from last week temperatures, which is quite positive as the last couple of weeks. At this time most grapevines have bud burst, depending on the locations and varieties the development can be slightly lower, for example in Pinot noir and Riesling. On the other hand, L'Acadie blanc and Frontenac have been growing steadily during the last couple of weeks with a good shoot development.

Best Practices session 1 ready to watch

At the beginning of May, we had the Best Practices session 1. At this first event, Dr Harrison Wright from KRDC summarized the bud hardiness results and explained their observations along the winter. Like the previous years, one of our best contributors, Jeff Franklin from KRDC, presented the weather information and linked it with the vineyard physiology. The session finished with a discussion between the panelist and Steve Ells, owner of Ellslea farm and president of GGANS, about the first activities in the vineyard.

Season 2022: Weather update, beginning of bud burst and sprayer calibration

Jeff Franklin from AAFC Kentville is bringing the weekly weather update. Like last week, in this publication you can see the degree days accumulation in the air. The main difference this time is that the temperatures have increased, and triggered bud burst in the earliest varieties.

Best Practices Session 1

The weather conditions are improving, the pruning is almost done, the sap is moving through the grapevines and it’s the time for a new Best Practices session! Since 2019, GGANS, Perennia and many stakeholders are working together to provide local growers’ observations from the vineyards in our province. Like the last 2 years, the sessions will be held in Zoom, recorded and after uploaded to YouTube. Please, stay tuned as we’ll see the opportunity to continue evolving on how the sessions are delivered.

Best Practices sessions 2021

Season 2021 passed quite fast and throughout the season 6 Best Practices sessions were hosted. We covered important topics such the weather conditions, vineyard practices, regional updates, and growers’ discussions.

In this publication, you’ll find the 6 sessions hosted in 2021, from the beginning of the season until last one just a couple of weeks ago.

We’d like to thank to all the speakers and contributors. Without their support and help, these sessions wouldn’t be possible.