PRUNING WORKSHOP- 7 FEBRUARY; 10AM @ LUCKETT VINEYARD AND WINERY

 Good Morning Dear Growers!

This is my first blog post of 2026, and we already have a full schedule of events to look forward to in the next couple of months. 

We are hitting the ground running!

Here are the events coming up in February and March: 

As the headline suggests, GGANS has organized an upcoming Best Practice pruning session.

LOCATION: Luckett Winery

DATE: 7 February; TIME: 10am.

As you may/may not know, the Winter Wine festival is happening after our pruning session as well. It may be nice to stick around and have a glass of wine as well. I do believe you need tickets for the winter wine fest, so please, check out the Luckett website for more info.

GGANS will be sending out more info on the pruning session itself, but I will ask you to see this video as well:

"Snip Happens:" Pruning Mistakes and Fixes.  Snip Happens: Pruning Mistakes and Fixes | Virtual Viticulture Academy

You do need to register to watch the video- it is free and available to view from the 28th January. 

Understanding what to do—and how to do it correctly—is essential, but mistakes are a natural part of pruning. The aim is to reduce common pitfalls and to know how to address them when they occur. This video serves as a useful resource to support learning and to help make pruning cuts with greater confidence.

GGANS AGM: 7 March 2026.

Upcoming Perennia Viticulture Webinars:

11 March @ 1pm: Vineyard Economics 101.

19 March @1pm: Cellar Economics 101.

I will post the registration dates for both these events in due course- keep an eye out for details in the blog.

We have guest speakers for both webinars:  Andrew Moon of Bartier Brothers in BC and Geoff McIntyre CCA from MNP Accounting Services. 

Both of these sessions are designed to help growers plan the year ahead and give ideas as to how to track and include expenses that growers encounter in our business. 

If you have any questions, get in touch with me.

Thank you for your time and I look forward to seeing you at the pruning session on the 7th Feb.

Cheers!

Katarina

Katarina Vucic P.Ag; MSc; DipWSET

Viticulture Specialist
Perennia Food and Agriculture
Email kvucic@perennia.ca
Office 902-678-7722

Cell 902-599-1390

 

www.perennia.ca

 

 

Rootstock Podcast Episode Launch

 Hello Dear Growers,

Congrats to another successful harvest! It has definitely been a year to remember, and a vintage for the books. I very much look forward to tasting the 2025 vintage once it's out on the shelves.

Again, congrats, and a job well done.

I'll jump right into upcoming events and new releases.

The "Season Wrap Up" event is less than a month away. Please remember to register and join us for a look back at this memorable season. Benefits include a good day of learning, catching up with your fellow colleagues and a complimentary lunch!

The link: https://www.perennia.ca/eventer/viticulture-season-in-review/

"Cool Climate Crush" Podcast

The new episode is now out. 

Rootstock Insights: Selection Strategies for Cool Climate Vineyards with Dr. Jim Willwerth

Description:
In this episode I speak with Dr. Jim Willwerth of Brock University’s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI). Our discussion explores the science and practical application of rootstock selection in cool climate viticulture. We highlight key factors growers should consider, recent research developments, and evidence-based strategies to enhance vineyard resilience and performance.

The link: https://open.spotify.com/episode/48jxKLQK38DyjMNgx784q0?si=wOdGAeMuRH-Hs2Yo8ZkPGg

Thank you all for your time this week. Please remember, I will be away until the 19th November. If issues do come up, please contact the Perennia office and they will put you in touch with our Ag team.

Congrats again and see you soon.

Cheers!

Katarina  

Katarina Vucic P.Ag; MSc; DipWSET

Viticulture Specialist
Perennia Food and Agriculture
Email kvucic@perennia.ca
Office 902-678-7722

Cell 902-599-1390

www.perennia.ca

 

MATURITY CONTROL- Week of 13 October 2025

 Hello Dear Growers, And Happy Weekend!

Here are the Brix, Acidity and Potential Alcohol for the sampled varieties. These samples were taken around Kentville and Wolfville, so your results may be slightly different.

 

Please see the weather forecast coming up and plan your harvests accordingly. It will be a cool and wet week, so let's avoid splitting and dilution as much as possible. 

News and Events:

26 November 2025:  Season in Review

LOCATION:     Berwick Lions Club

TIME:                9am -3pm

DETAILS:         This is a COMPLIMENTARY event with lunch included.

REGISTRATION LINK: https://www.perennia.ca/eventer/viticulture-season-in-review/

Please note: Registration will close one week before the event itself, so make sure you book your spot.

COOL CLIMATE CRUSH- Podcast

Episode 1: Crop Insurance

https://www.perennia.ca/learning/podcast/cool-climate-crush/

COMING UP: 

Episode 2: Rooted in Resilience – Choosing the Right Rootstocks for Cool Climates

This episode explores the critical role of rootstocks in optimizing vine performance under cool-climate conditions. Join me and our guest Dr. Jim Willwerth as we discuss current research on rootstock–scion interactions, with a focus on cold hardiness, nutrient uptake efficiency, and growth regulation in variable soil and climatic environments. We also examine the physiological mechanisms that drive rootstock adaptation to abiotic stress, and how these insights inform rootstock selection for long-term vineyard sustainability and fruit quality.

I will post the link as soon as it becomes available.

Thank you all for your time this week. I am still in the field sampling. If you would like a visit or a chat, please let me know.

I hope you all have a good week ahead.

Cheers!

Katarina

Advance Notice: I will be away on vacation beginning 31 October and returning on 19 November 2025.

 

Katarina Vucic P.Ag; MSc; DipWSET

Viticulture Specialist
Perennia Food and Agriculture
Email kvucic@perennia.ca
Office 902-678-7722

Cell 902-599-1390

 

www.perennia.ca

 

Happy Long weekend! And Brix for the Week of 6th October 2025

 Hello Dear Growers!

As promised, here are the maturity control numbers for this week.

-Firstly, the weather for the rest of the week:

I hope the harvest is going well for all of you despite the rain we had. 

Here are the Brix numbers:

I would expect the Pinot Noir and Chard to be coming off soon-if it hasn't already, with Meunier following very closely. 

Here are a few reminders. 

NEWS AND EVENTS:

Season in Review 2025

The link to the 2025 "Season in Review" session is now active. Please click here to register. This is a complimentary event with lunch provided.

https://www.perennia.ca/eventer/viticulture-season-in-review/

Podcast: Cool Climate Crush
Theme: Crop Insurance with Alicia Lushington. 

Just in time for the 15 November deadline for applications. Get the details and news here. 

Click the Link here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4N91chEkrob0MixTZtu6mJ?si=K9qQZQZlQU26JBAnE4b4GQ

Thank you all for your time this week and I hope you have a lovely Thanksgiving. 

CHEERS!

Katarina

Advance Notice: I will be away on vacation beginning 31 October and returning on 19 November 2025.

 

Katarina Vucic P.Ag; MSc; DipWSET

Viticulture Specialist
Perennia Food and Agriculture
Email kvucic@perennia.ca

Office 902-678-7722

Cell 902-599-1390

@NS_Viticulture

www.perennia.ca

 

Maturity Control: Week of 29 September 2025

 Hello Dear Growers!

Welcome to another absolutely beautiful week of fall. I am aware that there was no blog post last week, so this week, there will most likely be two. 

Firstly, here are some weather forecasts for this week (and yes, some rain is coming-maybe-we'll see on the day). The temperature will be dropping as the week continues, so please do be aware that some frost in the evening may be a possibility. We are in the thick of harvest, and by all accounts, the situation looks fantastic. I am hoping that the rain predicted for Wednesday does not impact berry integrity or quality in any significant way. 

 

Below is the final data for the season from Jeff at the Kentville Research Centre. 

Table 1.  Precipitation totals for the Kentville Research and Development Centre by month.

Month	25-Year Average (mm)	Current Year (mm)
April	81.9	93.7
May	74.0	88.6
June	98.7	50.5
July	85.9	33.0
August	91.1	13.2
September	98.8	22.3
October	115.8	0.5**

**Up to October 1, 2025

Table 2. Growing degree days and Sine degree days up to October 1, 2025.  All temperature data were recorded at the Kentville Research and Development Centre.

Single sine degree days, base of 0 °C starting on April 1		Growing degree days, base of 10 °C starting on April 1
Current Year	10-Year Average	Current Year	10-Year Average
2828.5	2781.8	1128.4	1110.0

Lastly, please see the sugar and acidity stats below. Accumulation is slowing - as is to be expected. Keep a lookout in your varieties. Some cultivars have shown signs of raisinating as we wait for the acidity to decrease. 

 

News and Events:

Season in Review: 

Date: 26 November 2025.

Time: 9am-3pm

Location:  Berwick Lions Club. This is a complimentary event with lunch included.

Registration is required. Page link will be available soon.

Podcast:

Crop Insurance with Alicia Lushington

Link will be available in the upcoming blog post.

Instagram:

@NS_Viticulture 

Follow me for news, updates, grower interviews and industry info. 

Thank you all for your time this week, and see you in the vines! 

Cheers!

Katarina

Katarina Vucic P.Ag; MSc; DipWSET

Viticulture Specialist
Perennia Food and Agriculture
Email kvucic@perennia.ca
Office 902-678-7722

Cell 902-599-1390

 

www.perennia.ca

 

Maturity Control: Week of 22 September 2025

Hello Dear Growers,

I hope you have had a good week. Here are this week's brix and acidity results. Please note that sampling was conducted mainly through the Kentville/Wolfville areas. results may vary slightly depending on your site. 

Weather data was provided by Jeff Franklin at the Kentville Research Centre:

Table 1.  Precipitation totals for the Kentville Research and Development Centre by month.

Month	25-Year Average (mm)	Current Year (mm)
April	81.9	93.7
May	74.0	88.6
June	98.7	50.5
July	85.9	33.0
August	91.1	13.2
September	98.8	16.5**
October	115.8

**Up to September 24, 2025

            Table 2. Growing degree days and Sine degree days up to September 24, 2025. Growing degree days were calculated using the average method and Sine degree days were calculated using the single sine method. All temperature data were recorded at the Kentville Research and Development Centre.

Single sine degree days, base of 0 °C starting on April 1		Growing degree days, base of 10 °C starting on April 1
Current Year	10-Year Average	Current Year	10-Year Average
2725.8	2682.6	1092.1	1079.4

 Other News and Events:

26 November 2025: 9am-3pm. Viticulture Season in Review @ Berwick Lions Club. Sign up link to follow. This event is complimentary with lunch provided.

@NS_Viticulture is now on Instagram and LIVE.  Follow me for stories, updates and information linked to the Nova Scotia grape growing industry.

Podcast Launch: Cool Climate Crush. 

Perennia's viticulture podcast. My first episode will be live by the beginning of October. It is a timely discussion about crop insurance with Alicia Lushington Parsons. We dive into the details of crop insurance, addressing common misunderstandings and clearing up misinformation to give farmers a clear picture of how it really works.

The deadline to enroll in Crop Insurance is 15 November. 

Thank you all for your time this week and I wish you all a lovely weekend and a successful harvest.

Cheers!

Katarina

Advance Notice: I will be away on vacation beginning 3 November and returning on 19 November 2025.

 

Katarina Vucic P.Ag; MSc; DipWSET

Viticulture Specialist
Perennia Food and Agriculture
Email kvucic@perennia.ca
Office 902-678-7722

Cell 902-599-1390

 

www.perennia.ca

 

Maturity Control: Week of 15 September 2025

 Hello Dear Growers!

Harvest is almost here! Some of the early varieties (like Osceola) are already coming in, but most of you will likely start early next week.

With damp weather in the forecast, please keep an eye out for downy on young leaves. Because of pre-harvest intervals, spraying may not be an option, so keep scouting and stay in touch with your winery.

We may also see temperatures dip to 2–4 °C on Friday and Saturday nights, depending on your location, so it’s worth keeping an eye on local forecasts.

Attached are this week’s Brix and TA results, along with low and high potential alcohol estimates for your reference. These samples were taken in the valley, so results may vary slightly by site.

The Precipitation and GDD was made available to us by Jeff Franklin at KRDC.

Table 1.  Precipitation totals for the Kentville Research and Development Centre by month.

Month	25-Year Average (mm)	Current Year (mm)
April	81.9	93.7
May	74.0	88.6
June	98.7	50.5
July	85.9	33.0
August	91.1	13.2
September	98.8	16.3**
October	115.8

**Up to September 17, 2025

Table 2. Growing degree days and Sine degree days up to September 17, 2025.  All temperature data were recorded at the Kentville Research and Development Centre.

Single sine degree days, base of 0 °C starting on April 1		Growing degree days, base of 10 °C starting on April 1
Current Year	10-Year Average	Current Year	10-Year Average
2617.9	2577.3	1054.1	1040.7

I will be out in sampling again next week. If you would like a visit, please get in touch with me. This harvest is looking fantastic, so I am very optimistic as I look at some very healthy vines and clusters.

Thank you all for your time this week, and again, keep in touch and see you out in the field.

Cheers!

Katarina

Katarina Vucic P.Ag; MSc; DipWSET

Viticulture Specialist
Perennia Food and Agriculture
Email kvucic@perennia.ca
Office 902-678-7722

Cell 902-599-1390

 

www.perennia.ca