Cold weather remains an ongoing challenge for the grape and wine industry across Canada. While climate change is predicted to expand areas suitable for wine grape production in the country, more frequent extreme weather events throughout the year, including cold episodes lethal to grapevines are also predicted.   Research activities will explore methods to reduce crop loss risks by increasing vineyard tolerance to extreme cold events through enhanced hardiness, crop protection technologies and improved cultivar selection.

Objectives are to a) study effect of timed water stress, root stock selection, young vine protection and vine senescence on hardiness; b) continue bud hardiness testing and develop model that can replace testing; c) continue to investigate bud and phloem tissue exposed to cold temperatures; d) explore grapevine root hardiness and impact of cold injuries to roots; e) assess grapevine disease effect on winter hardiness; f) identify cold hardy vines for clonal selection.