New Jersey hasn't seen rain in October. Here's why that could make for better wine.
Amid a mid-October chill, we are also experiencing a moderate to severe drought in parts of our area, especially South Jersey. Lawns are turning brown, but the lack of rain is not all bad news for farmers.
Tuesday was the last day of harvest at Cedarvale Winery in Logan Township, and workers were picking grapes off the vine that had been thriving under the South Jersey sun since spring.
"We always pray to the weather gods every season, hoping for a nice harvest," Andrew Gaventa said.
This year, those prayers were answered.
Our NEXT Weather Team says so far, there has been no rain in October, and it's been nearly 10 weeks since our area has seen a soaking rain.
At Cedarvale, the quality of the grapes is very good this year because of the dry conditions.
"When it's dry like this, the sugar content of the grapes goes up and there's less water, so the sugar is more concentrated in the grape," Ed Gaventa, who owns the winery, said.
Gaventa said a higher sugar content in the grapes means a better-tasting wine, and he called this one of the best harvests he's seen in years.
"So you're going to see wines this year from New Jersey overall are going to have a little higher alcohol content," Gaventa said.
However, the dry weather has been a mixed bag for New Jersey farmers growing crops and vegetables.
"We would rather see it on the dryer side than too wet because if it's too wet, crops don't hold up as well," said Glenn Specher, who owns G&G Farm Market in Logan Township.
Specher says at his market, tomatoes took a beating this year in the summer heat. Overall, the dry weather is helping crops last longer, but the lack of rain also forces some farmers to break even.
"When you do irrigate or have to put water on your crops, it does cost more money," he said.