Virginia wineries suffer frost damage

An overnight freeze last week damaged grape buds at wineries across Virginia, including several in Northern Virginia, after an unusually warm March and early April pushed vines to break dormancy ahead of schedule and left them exposed to cold temperatures that arrived on April 21.

At Barboursville Vineyards, one of the state’s best-known estates, about 60 of its 170 vineyard acres were affected, or roughly 35%, according to Luca Paschina, who has led the winery’s winemaking program for more than three decades. The hardest-hit blocks were in lower-elevation areas between 500 and 600 feet, where colder air settled during the frost. Higher slopes, between 600 and 800 feet, were largely spared.

Paschina said the winery used wind machines and frost burners in an effort to protect the vines. The windmills moved warmer air down into the vineyard, and crews also burned vine piles left from winter pruning. Even with those measures, some sections sustained damage. The affected plantings include pinot grigio, viognier, vidal, merlot and moscato.

Jim Law of Linden Vineyards said his losses were smaller than many others in the region, though still significant. He estimated damage at 20% to 30%, compared with losses of 80% to 100% reported at some other vineyards in Virginia. Law said the problem was not only the frost itself but the weather pattern that came before it. A mild March and April encouraged early vine growth, making the buds vulnerable when temperatures dropped.

Across Virginia, growers in lower-elevation sites in Loudoun County, the Monticello region and the Shenandoah Valley reported the most damage, while vineyards at higher elevations generally fared better. Many producers are now waiting to see whether secondary buds will develop enough to produce at least a partial crop later in the season.

The freeze has forced wineries to adjust expectations for the 2026 vintage and could reduce yields at a time when many producers have been relying on strong recent harvests. Paschina said Barboursville has had three straight vintages with plentiful crops and high-quality wines, leaving tens of thousands of gallons aging in barrel. Law said Linden has had six strong vintages in a row and has built up inventory that can help cushion a smaller harvest.

Law said he began planning for more volatile spring weather years ago by planting a climate change trial vineyard with varieties he believes may be better suited to shifting conditions. He said events like this year’s frost are becoming more important as growers face less predictable seasons and greater risk during bud break.

For wineries that depend on both wine sales and tourism, the damage comes at a sensitive time. Tasting rooms remain open, but growers are now focused on how much fruit survives and what kind of crop they will have when harvest arrives later this year.