Grapevine Cold Hardiness

The graph shows a seasonal overview of cold hardiness for Alvarinho grapevine buds from September through April.

Cold Hardiness of the buds (BUD10, BUD50 and BUD90) starts approximately 8-10°F in early November and declines until -6°F to -12°F in late December and January. Buds lose their hardiness when air temperatures go up and reach about -5 °F to 5°F at the end of the season‌.

The graph shows a seasonal overview of cold hardiness for Barbera grapevine buds from September through April. Cold hardiness of the buds (BUD10, BUD50, and BUD90) begins at approximately 10–15°F in early November and gradually declines through late fall. Maximum cold hardiness is reached in late December and January, with critical temperatures ranging from about −5°F to −10°F. As air temperatures increase toward late winter and early spring, buds lose hardiness rapidly, reaching approximately 0°F to 10°F by the end of the season.

The graph shows a seasonal overview of cold hardiness for Cabernet franc grapevine buds from September through April. Cold hardiness of the buds (BUD10, BUD50, and BUD90) starts near 8–12°F in early November and declines steadily through December. Peak cold hardiness occurs in late December and January, with critical temperatures around −8°F to −12°F. Buds gradually lose hardiness as temperatures increase in late winter and early spring, reaching approximately −2°F to 7°F by the end of the season.

The graph shows a seasonal overview of cold hardiness for Cabernet Sauvignon grapevine buds from September through April. Cold hardiness of the buds (BUD10, BUD50, and BUD90) begins around 8–12°F in early November and declines gradually through November and December. Peak cold hardiness occurs in January, when critical temperatures reach approximately −6°F to −12°F. As temperatures increase toward late winter and early spring, buds lose hardiness and reach about −2°F to 6°F by the end of the season.

The graph shows a seasonal overview of cold hardiness for Chardonnay grapevine buds from September through April. Cold hardiness of the buds (BUD10, BUD50, and BUD90) starts at approximately 10–12°F in early November and declines steadily through late fall. Maximum cold hardiness is reached in late December and January, with critical temperatures ranging from about −8°F to −14°F. Buds lose hardiness as air temperatures increase, reaching approximately −2°F to 6°F by the end of the season.

The graph shows a seasonal overview of cold hardiness for Chenin blanc grapevine buds from September through April. Cold hardiness of the buds (BUD10, BUD50, and BUD90) develops rapidly, declining from approximately 10–15°F in early November to about −8°F to −15°F by late December and January. Chenin blanc maintains strong mid‑winter hardiness through much of January. As temperatures warm in February and March, bud hardiness gradually decreases, reaching approximately −2°F to 8°F by early spring.

The graph shows a seasonal overview of cold hardiness for Concord grapevine buds from September through April. Cold hardiness of the buds (BUD10, BUD50, and BUD90) begins near 8–12°F in early November and declines sharply during late fall. The lowest critical temperatures occur in January, reaching approximately −12°F to −20°F, indicating very high mid‑winter cold tolerance. Buds retain hardiness longer than other cultivars, but lose tolerance as temperatures rise, reaching around −5°F to 5°F by the end of the season.

The graph shows a seasonal overview of cold hardiness for Durif grapevine buds from September through April. Cold hardiness of the buds (BUD10, BUD50, and BUD90) develops from approximately 5–8°F in early November and declines into mid‑winter. The lowest critical temperatures occur in January, reaching about −8°F to −13°F. Bud hardiness decreases rapidly as air temperatures rise, reaching approximately 0°F to 10°F near the end of the season.

The graph shows a seasonal overview of cold hardiness for Grenache grapevine buds from September through April. Cold hardiness of the buds (BUD10, BUD50, and BUD90) starts around 10–12°F in early November and declines through December. Maximum cold hardiness is reached in January, with values near −6°F to −12°F. Bud hardiness is lost relatively quickly as temperatures warm, reaching approximately 2°F to 12°F by early spring.

The graph shows a seasonal overview of cold hardiness for Malbec grapevine buds from September through April. Cold hardiness of the buds (BUD10, BUD50, and BUD90) begins near 10°F in early November and declines sharply toward mid‑winter. The lowest critical temperatures occur in January, reaching approximately −10°F to −15°F. As temperatures increase later in the season, bud hardiness declines and reaches around −2°F to 5°F by late March.

The graph shows a seasonal overview of cold hardiness for Merlot grapevine buds from September through April. Cold hardiness of the buds (BUD10, BUD50, and BUD90) starts around 10–12°F in early November and declines through December. Peak winter hardiness occurs in January, with critical temperatures ranging from about −7°F to −13°F. Bud hardiness gradually decreases as temperatures rise, reaching approximately 0°F to 8°F at the end of the season.

The graph shows a seasonal overview of cold hardiness for Mourvèdre grapevine buds from September through April. Cold hardiness of the buds (BUD10, BUD50, and BUD90) begins around 8–10°F in early November and declines slowly through December. Maximum cold hardiness is observed in January, with critical temperatures near −6°F to −12°F. Bud hardiness decreases as air temperatures rise, reaching approximately 0°F to 10°F by early spring.

The graph shows a seasonal overview of cold hardiness for Muscat blanc grapevine buds from September through April. Cold hardiness of the buds (BUD10, BUD50, and BUD90) starts near 8–10°F in early November and declines steadily into mid‑winter. The lowest critical temperatures occur in January, reaching approximately −8°F to −12°F. Buds lose hardiness as temperatures increase, reaching around 0°F to 8°F by late March.

The graph shows a seasonal overview of cold hardiness for Pinot gris grapevine buds from September through April. Cold hardiness of the buds (BUD10, BUD50, and BUD90) starts near 8–10°F in early November and declines through late fall. Peak winter hardiness occurs in January, when critical temperatures reach approximately −8°F to −14°F. Buds lose hardiness as temperatures increase, reaching approximately −2°F to 6°F by the end of the season.

The graph shows a seasonal overview of cold hardiness for Pinot noir grapevine buds from September through April. Cold hardiness of the buds (BUD10, BUD50, and BUD90) begins at approximately 8–10°F in early November and declines into mid‑winter. The lowest critical temperatures occur in January, reaching about −7°F to −13°F. As temperatures rise later in the season, bud hardiness declines to approximately −1°F to 7°F by early spring.

The graph shows a seasonal overview of cold hardiness for Petit Verdot grapevine buds from September through April. Cold hardiness of the buds (BUD10, BUD50, and BUD90) starts near 10–12°F in early November and declines steadily through December. Maximum cold hardiness occurs in January, with critical temperatures around −8°F to −14°F. Buds lose hardiness as temperatures warm, reaching approximately 0°F to 8°F by late March.

The graph shows a seasonal overview of cold hardiness for Riesling grapevine buds from September through April. Cold hardiness of the buds (BUD10, BUD50, and BUD90) begins near 8–10°F in early November and declines sharply into mid‑winter. The lowest critical temperatures occur in January, reaching approximately −10°F to −18°F. Buds lose hardiness more slowly than most cultivars, reaching approximately −2°F to 6°F by the end of the season.

The graph shows a seasonal overview of cold hardiness for Sangiovese grapevine buds from September through April. Cold hardiness of the buds (BUD10, BUD50, and BUD90) starts near 8–10°F in early November and declines into mid‑winter. The lowest critical temperatures occur in January, reaching approximately −6°F to −10°F. Buds lose hardiness fairly rapidly as temperatures increase, reaching around 2°F to 12°F by spring.

The graph shows a seasonal overview of cold hardiness for Sauvignon Blanc grapevine buds from September through April. Cold hardiness of the buds (BUD10, BUD50, and BUD90) begins around 10–12°F in early November and declines through late fall. Peak winter hardiness is reached in January, when critical temperatures range from −6°F to −12°F. Bud hardiness declines as temperatures increase, reaching approximately 2°F to 10°F by the end of the season.

The graph shows a seasonal overview of cold hardiness for Syrah grapevine buds from September through April. Cold hardiness of the buds (BUD10, BUD50, and BUD90) starts near 10–12°F in early November and declines sharply through late fall. Maximum cold hardiness occurs in January, reaching approximately −8°F to −14°F. Bud hardiness gradually declines as temperatures rise, reaching around 0°F to 8°F by the end of the season.

The graph shows a seasonal overview of cold hardiness for Tempranillo grapevine buds from September through April. Cold hardiness of the buds (BUD10, BUD50, and BUD90) begins around 10–12°F in early November and declines through December. The lowest critical temperatures are observed in January, reaching approximately −6°F to −12°F. Buds lose hardiness as air temperatures increase, reaching about 2°F to 10°F by early spring.

The graph shows a seasonal overview of cold hardiness for Viognier grapevine buds from September through April. Cold hardiness of the buds (BUD10, BUD50, and BUD90) starts near 8–10°F in early November and declines through late fall. Peak winter hardiness occurs in January, with critical temperatures around −7°F to −12°F. Bud hardiness decreases as temperatures rise, reaching approximately 0°F to 8°F by the end of the season.

The graph shows a seasonal overview of cold hardiness for Zinfandel grapevine buds from September through April. Cold hardiness of the buds (BUD10, BUD50, and BUD90) starts around 8–10°F in early November and declines through December. Maximum cold hardiness is reached in January, with values near −6°F to −12°F. Bud hardiness declines as temperatures rise, reaching approximately 0°F to 10°F by spring.

The graph presents a seasonal overview of air temperature, bud cold hardiness, and precipitation for Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay grapevines during the 2025–2026 season, from September through early April.

Daily maximum and minimum air temperatures are shown in the upper panel.The middle panel shows bud cold hardiness (BUD50) for Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. Bud hardiness begins developing in October, with lethal temperatures near 5–10°F. Cold hardiness increases through November and December as air temperatures decline. Maximum bud hardiness occurs in late December through January, reaching approximately −10°F to −20°F, with Chardonnay generally showing greater cold tolerance than Cabernet Sauvignon during mid‑winter. Beginning in late January and February, both cultivars lose hardiness as air temperatures rise. By March, BUD50 values increase to approximately −5°F to +5°F.
The lower panel shows daily precipitation and cumulative precipitation. Most precipitation happens in late fall and winter, cumulative precipitation reaches 6.6 inches by March 30.