Red Leaves in the Vineyard

Red fall colors in the vineyard have been dramatic this year. The foliage of black fruited vines (the Cabernets, Merlot, and Petit Verdot) has turned a deep crimson. (White fruited vine leaves remain yellow.) Winegrowers in this region have never seen this before. At first we thought it might be a consequence of this summer’s drought. But now it is apparent that the invasive Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) is the cause.

This year was our first SLF population peak year. These insects are sap suckers. If the vines lose too much sap they become stressed. The reddening of the leaves in late fall is a symptom of stressed vines. We are concerned that the vines were weakened going into the winter, which could make them more susceptible to winter damage (that is if we do have a real winter).

A hard frost will knock off all the vine leaves. But frost is late in coming this year. Until then we'll have to live with this constant reminder of the SLF, knowing that they will be back next year.

Linden Vineyards / Learn More / Latest at Linden | Hardscrabble Journal: November 4, 2024