Vine status

Some table grapes started veraison. One early cultivar (Everest, not pictured) had one cluster survive the frost and start to accumulate sugar.

Many Chardonnay clusters are at bunch closure. Vidal is at bunch closure; some others, e.g., Chardonel and Frontenac, were a bit more advanced, with some clusters surviving the frost and showing color changes.

Due to uneven growth and development, even within the same block, you probably need to be diligent with fungicide rotation to avoid relying on the same material, as we discussed in the last virtual meeting.  If you have not had a chance yet, please see my previous post on pre-bloom/bloom disease management.

Grape Disease Risks: 7/15-7/22/2026

NEWA is an Agricultural Weather Station Network, and we are part of the team. Here is a snapshot from last week showing the number of days with risk for each disease: Ph = Phomopsis, PW = Powdery mildew, BR = Black rot, and DM = Downy mildew. N/A means there is no data or issues with the NEWA. I am waiting to hear back from the weather station company about fixing the one in Stafford. Note: Since we are out of the critical period for black rot and Phomopsis, you can ignore them. Note 2: I moved some stations with data transmission issues.

Despite last week’s forecast, the number of days with downy mildew infection was relatively low, indicating that forecasted rain did not happen at many locations (including us…). As we discussed in the previous virtual vineyard meetings, we still need to maintain our vines to ensure healthy canopies that support bud formation for next year, cane or spur selection, and winter survival.

Downy mildew forecast

Please click the table above to enlarge. Some locations in central VA and southwest VA are looking at more than a few days with high risk. I hope you can find a time to protect your vines before these events. Please refer to my previous post about downy mildew management. 

The downy mildew forecasting effort is supported by the Virginia Wine Board.