Jois winegrowers take action

“Immersed” vineyards as protection from the cold

Light the fire and extinguish it with a little water so that it smokes nicely: That was the mission of the Jois winegrowers last night.(Bild: Die Joiser Winzer)

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The winegrowers in Jois were prepared: sub-zero temperatures had been forecast. The problem when the green shoots freeze is not directly the cold, but the morning sun, which would thaw them out too quickly. "This causes the shoot to burn from the inside, so to speak," explains Johannes Pasler.

A remedy for this: Lighting fires at the edges of the vineyards to create a smoke screen over them. At around 4 o'clock, the temperatures in the Scheibäcker and Gritschenberg vineyards really did drop to minus 1.6 degrees, making it necessary to reach for the lighter. The prepared fireplaces were lit by the winegrowers and lightly doused with water again and again. This allowed a bell of smoke to form over the vineyards - the conditions were perfect because, for once, there was almost no wind.

It was really dangerous for the shoots at around 15 minutes a quarter of an hour after sunrise. "After that, it's already four to five degrees again, by which time the shoots have slowly thawed and nothing more can happen," explains the Jois winegrower.

Some of the vineyards had disappeared under smoke bells. The reason: the winegrowers protected the green shoots from the rising sun.(Bild: Die Joiser Winzer)

The cooperation between the winegrowers worked very well and no damage should have occurred. "We won't be able to say for sure until the next few days, but it looks really good," says Pasler.

Obs farmers were also worried
But it wasn't just the winegrowers who feared for their vines. Fruit growers were also keeping a close eye on the weather. In Kittsee at the Alexander Roszuczky organic farm, the decision was made to sprinkle the trees with frost water. This involves watering the trees, creating a protective layer of ice over the blossoms and fruit. "But we stayed at just under 2 degrees plus," says the apricot grower.

There was also concern in St. Andrä at Obstbau Leeb. But here, too, the temperatures did not drop below zero degrees. "We probably got off lightly," explains Albert Leeb. Things should be looking up now." He assumes that these were the premature icemen. If that's true, then nothing should stand in the way of a reasonably good fruit and wine year - hopefully.