SHELBURNE, Vt. -
There's no denying it's dry out there. The entire northeast is under a watch for near drought conditions. What's not so clear, is the impact this unusually dry spring is having on businesses which are at the mercy of the weather. Some places like wineries need the continued dry weather, but this mild spring in an unpredictable climate has some vineyards worried.
Shelburne Vineyard so far this season is sitting high.
"At this point we are very much welcoming the dry," said Ken Albert, Managing partner of Shelburne Vineyard.
With little rainfall, the dry conditions are good for grape growing. Yet, Vermont wine makers are concerned.
"They (buds) go from being super hearty to being very delicate. So from now on if it goes below 30 degrees, we are very nervous," said Albert.
He says the warm weather is forcing the buds to break out weeks early, "We literally could lose the entire year's crop if we get a severe frost."
This would be tough to watch, especially after last year's losses, because of all the rain.
"We probably lost a third of the grapes from this site last fall," said Albert.
He says wine making in Vermont is relatively new and very much a learning process, "Vermont being Vermont it doesn't always stay warm. It goes warm and cold and cold and warm and that's the concern."
The vineyard says if they escape extreme frost Tuesday night things should be in the clear for the rest of the season.
