The effects of our cold winter is being felt by Wisconsin winemakers. At Wollersheim Winery near Sauk City, Phillipe Coquard said they don’t want to cry wolf just yet, but it looks as if they’ve lost 30 to 50 percent of the grape crop.
“Right now the buds are swelling, and we will have a better picture of what froze for sure, and what might come through,” he said. Coquard said Wisconsin winemakers are used to dealing with the effects of harsh Midwestern weather, but the winter that just ended was particularly bad.
“Over the years we’ve seen colder, we’ve seen 30 and 35 below for days, but we’ve never seen 20 days in a row, 10 below, 12 below with so much wind and stretching out so long.” Coquard said damage is widespread across the northern U.S., impacting wineries in Ohio, Pennsylvania and upstate New York.