Jenna LaVita is with Ventosa Vineyards on the eastern side of Seneca Lake.

We have seen temperatures get below zero in Central New York several times recently, and for many vineyards, the number they are looking for is -5 degrees.

Once the temperature gets below there, they could start seeing significant losses in the harvest.

While she does not expect it, in the case of a massive crop loss, they do have the ability to recover some of their yield by using vines which had been buried underground the previous season.

The point when a vine will no longer produce fruit can fluctuate by a few degrees. The winds coming off Seneca Lake are actually helping Ventosa out. Temperatures have been close to a breaking point between when buds could die or remain healthy, and even though wind chills are intense, they do not affect the plants.

So the winds off Seneca Lake are helpful, because they move the pockets of air around, helping vines from hitting that -5 degree thresh hold.

Ventosa is one of the few growers of rare Mediterranean grapes, which have a lower threshold for cold. These grapes are the ones the folks at Ventosa are most concerned with.

Source - http://www.cnycentral.com/