Some N.S. wineries worry as approaching cold temperatures threaten grapevines
Wineries throughout the region are keeping a close eye on the weather as an approaching cold snap threatens their grapevines.
John Eickelenboom has placed 80 round bales of hay throughout his vineyard in Port Williams, N.S.
“They’re about 1,300 to 1,400 pounds a piece,” Eickelenboom says.
Friday evening, he plans to light the bales on fire with the hope the heat will bring up the temperature around his vines, providing enough warmth to save them.
“This is my only insurance protection I get,” says Eickelenboom.
Eickelenboom's vineyard covers nearly 15 acres. He says with temperatures sent to plummet to lows he’s never seen in his 50 years of farming, he could lose all of his grapevines.
“You have to think, what are you going to do, what are you going to do when the whole vineyard dies? Start again, farmers are tough. I’m not whining and crying, I’m going to get through it,” Eickelenboom says.
There is a slightly different concern at Bent Ridge Winery in Windsor, N.S.
Owner Glenn Dodge grows a variety of grapes that aren't meant to handle extreme cold temperatures.
“We are having temperatures drop here by two to three degrees an hour over the next 15 hours and that’s pretty substantial,” says Dodge.
Dodge says the warm temperatures experienced so far this winter caused some vines to start to produce buds.
“You can go out and you can clip some of the buds to see if there’s any green left in them. If it’s brown or black inside, those have been destroyed,” says Dodge.
According to Dodge, the true extent of the damage won’t be known until spring.
That means months of waiting and hoping for farmers that their livelihoods survive this weekend’s potentially crop killing temperatures.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
World's record-breaking hot temperature streak stretches through April
The world just experienced its hottest April on record, extending an 11-month streak in which every month set a temperature record, the European Union's climate change monitoring service said on Wednesday.
BREAKING Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
Most of Canada to receive emergency alert test today
The federal government will test its capacity to issue emergency alerts today, with the exception of Ontario, where the test will take place on May 15.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Seafood, eat food: Calgary Stampede releases Midway menu
The Calgary Stampede has released its menu of sweet, salty and spicy treats available on the Midway for the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.
AstraZeneca says it will withdraw COVID-19 vaccine globally as demand dips
AstraZeneca said on Tuesday it had initiated the worldwide withdrawal of its COVID-19 vaccine due to a 'surplus of available updated vaccines' since the pandemic.
Boy Scouts of America is rebranding. Here's why they've changed their name
After more than a century, Boy Scouts of America is rebranding as Scouting America, another major shakeup for an organization that once proudly resisted change.
Ontario man devastated to learn $150,000 line of credit isn't insured after wife dies
An Ontario man found out that a line of credit he thought was insured actually isn't after his wife of 50 years died.
Trial begins for Winnipeg serial killer who claims he was mentally ill
The trial of a man who admits he killed four women in Winnipeg is set to begin Wednesday, and a law professor says lawyers for Jeremy Skibicki have multiple hurdles to clear for a defence of mental illness.