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Michigan vineyards limping toward harvest

A Michigan winemaker says the state’s vineyards in the northwest have suffered a one, two, three, even four punch over the last two growing seasons.

Lee Lutes, General Manager of Black Star Farms wineries in Traverse City, says if two severe winters and a killer frost this spring wasn’t enough, a freak storm in August has wreaked havoc on area vineyards.

“I’ve never seen hail damage like this before where it looks like somebody went through the vineyard in a horror movie or something with a shotgun and completely blew these vines to smithereens.”

Lutes tells Brownfield the freakish weather events over the last few years have made grape growers into climate change believers. He says while this year’s crop isn’t a total loss, it’s not the type of conditions that will lead to long-term sustainability.

Lutes says for vineyards that have severe damage, they will pick fruit early.  “They’re stressed enough as it is.” He tells Brownfield, “We’re really more concerned about keeping the vines alive than worrying about harvesting fruit from them.”

If the weather fairs, he says harvest should begin close to normal.  “It’s probably going to be a moderate to very small harvest period with some growers just saying, ‘Look, it’s not even worth it for me to maintain the maintenance that’s necessary to try and ripen my fruit.’”  Lutes says harvest typically starts at the end of September in the northwest and runs through October.

To help with the reduced production, he says the winery will have to look in other regions to source fruit.  “What we typically try do is blend in some of our own fruits or blend in some of the out-of-state fruit just to stretch our own fruit and maintain a style.”

Lutes says located in a region with vast agricultural diversity and extreme weather, growers need to have thick skin to deal with the challenges brought on by Mother Nature.

Black Star Farms expects to harvest as little as 20 percent of their production this year.

AUDIO: Interview with Lee Lutes (16:44 mp3):