Proposed Plan of Action with the Current Weather Situation

to:           Mrs. Paula Jones (Owner Specialty crafted wines)

from:     JOH UPWARD

subject:     Current weather situation

date:      August 31, 2014

Proposed Plan of Action with the Current Weather Situation

With the current weather situation of inclement weather with the chance of hail and severe thunderstorms I am making the following recommendations. The grapes need to be tested for both sugar ripeness and flavor or phenolic ripeness. This should happen immediately as the weather may dictate that the grapes are picked immediately or the entire harvest could be lost. Once both types of ripeness are determined we can determine a picking schedule taking into account the weather. I would suggest picking the grapes sooner than later to protect the harvest and allow us to have a product for the year (Schmid A. W. A, 2013) (Le Cordon Bleu Online, 2014). With the onset of this weather storm we could also have very cold weather that may cause freezing conditions when the plants are not ready to handle this type of cold. I would suggest that we also set up the heaters to keep the plants warm to avoid losing more than we are ready to at this time (Schmid A. W. A, 2013) (Hewitt, 2014).  If this action is not taken the grape crop could be lost entirely or a large part of it lost.

Growing grapes and a look at the different seasons and how it affects the grape. Spring is when the vines awaken from being dormant during the winter months. Buds start to appear and the biggest hazard is frost. However we do not the weather to warm it makes the plant more susceptible to frost for a longer period of time. The summer comes and the buds start to turn into flowers and the grapes themselves start to appear. We like the temperature to stay within a small range during the early parts of this season. Heavy rains become a problem. We want rain but light and steady and then long periods of warm dry weather with slight wind to keep the grapes plants dry. Autumn the grapes mature and are ready to harvest. During this time we want a long warm autumn to give the grapes the time to mature both in sugar ripeness and phenolic ripeness. Winter brings on the time when the vines are pruned back and allowed to rest. During this time weather is less of a concern (Schmid A. W. A, 2013) (BBC, 2009).

William Crawford

References

BBC. (2009). Vineyard Seasons. Retrieved from BBC Weather Centre: http://www.bbc.co.uk/climate/impact/vinyards_seasons.shtml

Hewitt, H. (2014, August 31). Harsh winter weather affects vineyards, too. Retrieved from Tridune-Star: http://www.tribstar.com/features/valley_life/harsh-winter-weather-affects-vineyards-too/article_328c26fc-a9ef-5add-a7fd-9de0d467e43e.html

Le Cordon Bleu Online. (2014, August 31). Viticulture and the Vineyard. Scottsdale, AZ, USA.

Schmid A. W. A, a. L. (2013). The Beverage Managers Quide to Wines, Beers, and Spirits. Upper Saddle River N.J. : Prentice Hall .