| How the Lake Effects
Vineyards
James McGrath Morris
Reprinted with permission from the Ithaca Journal, May 13, 1983
Its one of those cloudless, still, nights of mid-fall. The cold
air blankets the fields, leaving a white trail of deadly frost
on unpicked crops. The air is so dense you can almost scoop it
in your hands. These are the nights that farmers fear.
But these are the nights, too, say vineyard owners along the
shores of Cayuga Lake, when the lake works its magic. The steep
slopes of the shore offer no perch for the cold, dense air to
settle. Instead of coming to rest around the vines supporting
the delicate grapes, the cold air continues to slide down the
hill and onto the water. The lake, still holding its summer warmth,
heats the cold air, causing it to rise and allowing more of it
to drain off the hill. On a cold night, the temperature difference
caused by this slight motion of air through the vineyards above
the shore can spell the difference between success and failure
for a year's harvest.
| And the Lake
Effect Continues...
Bill Foster
Watershed Educator
Nearly twenty years after the accompanying
article was written, the “lake effect” continues
to have a very positive effect on wine production and the
regional economy of the Finger Lakes. Today, a dozen wineries
operate commercially along the shores of Cayuga Lake alone.
While the slope and soils of the Cayuga shoreline are ill-suited
for many other farming practices, the lake’s influence
creates conditions comparable to some of Europe’s
most famous grape-growing regions. Our wine industry is
continuing to grow and change the local landscape. As you
sip a fine glass of Riesling this fall, remember- the continued
success of the Finger Lakes wine region depends in part
on our success in protecting the quality and beauty of our
watershed resources. |
To grow grapes good enough for wine making, there are a number
of climatic requirements, say experts. First is 165 or more frost-free
days a year. Second, annual low temperatures should not dip below
minus 5 degrees Fahrenheit. Third, grapes need good exposure to
sunlight. The lake's influence on the climate of the shore makes
meeting the first two requirements much easier. And its protection
against frost is not limited to late fall. In the spring, when
a frost can heavily damage the vine's new buds, the lake also
drains the cold air off the slopes.
Robert and Mary Plane [founders and previous proprietors of Plane's
Cayuga Vineyards] know first-hand about the benefits of growing
grapes along the shore. The Planes moved cautiously as they turned
what was once a kidney bean farm into a vineyard. Before planting
any vines, they placed thermometers in the fields and recorded
the daily high and low temperatures. It was then that the Planes
first encountered the influence of the lake. Some fields were
4-5 degrees colder than others lying within 100 yards. The warmest
areas had an unobstructed view of the lake. Thus, to grow wine
grapes sensitive to temperature, Robert Plane says, they found
that "you want a spot that can see the lake."
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