Vine status

Still behind on canopy management, and vines are filling the canopy with many laterals. Some of the Chardonnay clusters on primary shoots are at bunch closure, and others are BB-size. Hybrids and table grapes are a bit more consistent with fruit. Vidal is at bunch closure; some others, e.g., Chardonel, Frontenac, were a bit more advanced.

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: 7/2-7/8/2026

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. The Downy Mildew model at many stations is still not working, so I used nearby airports for some of them. Please see the forecast table below for your reference.

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. The series of storms in the forecast is increasing the risk of downy mildew across the state, with higher risk in central and southwest Virginia. 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.