On my last trip through the vineyard, it looks like our production this year will be down.    All of our vines survived the winter except the Louise Swenson which died back to the ground and we plan to pull all of these to plant something new.    The other vines struggled with the cold and later spring, setting the flowering back about a week and when they flowered we had a rainy period that affected the pollination as the clusters have more shot berrys.     Our new plantings of Petite Pearl look good and are reaching the top wire.    King of the North will still be our best producer again at about 85% and I estimate all the other vines will yield about 60% of last year.     The 2-1-17 in the test plot looks good and will produce a small crop again ......it seems they take longer to establish than the Frontenac or King of the North.   The Frontenac Gris and Marquette in the south vineyard will be average.    I continue to control the yield on these and plan to start next year with a full production program.   (as in more fertilizer, leave on more buds and an early Roundup program to widen the black area in the rows.)   As a little side note.....I have been in the Ag production Industry since 1966 and every year is different weather it's Soybeans, Corn or Wheat......and now Grapes.    That's Mother Nature here in the Northern Plains.

So .... Wineries looking for more grapes,  you might have to find some other fruit or honey........Let's keep the wine flowing !!!!!!!!!!!     Rod