California’s climate is ideal for growing wine grapes. But wineries in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic are also gaining recognition as consumers seek high quality local options.

“We have the clientele here, and folks want to buy product that is grown much closer to their home,” says Steve Bogash of the pest management company Marrone Bio Innovations.

He says as the climate warms, the growing season is getting longer. That may make it easier to grow some grape varieties in places like New York and Pennsylvania. But it brings challenges, too.

“Certain insect pests that are wiped out by our winters right now may start to become more of a problem,” he says. “As things warm up, it’s more and more likely that they will overwinter and show up earlier.”

The climate is also getting wetter. Bogash says that in 2018, some parts of Virginia had pushing 90 inches of rain. “It was a very tough season for growing grapes,” he says. “When the leaves never dry, you get a lot of diseases.”

But Bogash says grape growers in the region remain optimistic about the industry’s future.

“There are an increasing number of really good Northeast, mid-Atlantic wines.”

Reporting credit: ChavoBart Digital Media.