DELMARVA -- A frost event this week is dealing a major blow to farmers across Delmarva, with vineyard owners reporting significant crop damage after two nights of freezing temperatures.
“They were as green as the grass yesterday," Queen Anne's County grape grower Jennie Schmidt told WBOC about her budding grapevines.
Schmidt found widespread damage when she inspected her vineyard earlier this week. What had been healthy, green buds just days before were left brittle and lifeless after the freeze.
“I would say it's probably the hardest freeze of the 25 years of grape growing that I've experienced," Schmidt said. "Depending on the variety, I think the frost probably knocked out a third to a half of my crop.”
Schmidt sells her grapes to wineries across the region. While some buds may recover and crop insurance can offset part of the loss, she said the overall impact is substantial.
“It is a significant economic hit for any fruit growers, even things like peaches or apples," Schmidt said. "Every perennial crop that was in bloom or started to bud break got hit by this across the state.”
Schmidt said she contracts out her grapes to wineries before the growing season begins.
“At my normal, 100% yield, I've sold everything. And now I won't be able to deliver that," Schmidt said. "Granted, it's not my fault. The wineries know that, and their vineyards have been impacted as well. But I don't like not being able to deliver what I said I could deliver. It's also going to put a pinch on the wineries.”
Wineries such as Salted Vines in Frankford, Delaware, rely both on their own vineyards and contracted growers like Schmidt. Owner Adrian Mobilia said only about two to three percent of their crop was likely affected by the frost. However, Mobilia said this is the first time they've lost buds to frost in the 20 years they've been there.
According to Mobilia, the effects of the frost could ripple through the supply chain, particularly in the eastern United States, where many wineries source grapes from Maryland and Virginia.
“Customers coming in that are maybe used to having a pinot gris or chardonnay, we just have to say 'hey, we're sorry, the grower we used got frosted last spring, and there are no grapes," Mobilia said. "It's not like going to the grocery store, where you can go get more ketchup when you run out. You have one shot to do it once a year.”
Wine currently on Salted Vines' shelves has already been produced, meaning consumers are unlikely to see immediate effects. However, Mobilia said any effects from the freeze could be seen in 2027, when this year’s harvest would typically reach the market.
“This is one of those events that hopefully helps the consumer appreciate that bottle of wine a little more, because there's going to be a lot of places in the eastern United States this year that you're not going to have what you're used to getting because of this widespread freeze," Mobilia said.