Maryland lawmakers push for financial aid for wineries devastated by frost

More than 40 Maryland lawmakers signed a letter to Gov. Wes Moore on Friday requesting he authorize emergency funds for the wineries whose grape buds were destroyed by a cold snap this spring.

The late-season frost is projected to cause million-dollar losses for some vineyards in the coming years as they feel the loss in inventory. It’s a major setback for the Maryland wine industry, which has begun to boom only in the last few decades.

“If we don’t step in, the future of the industry is at risk,” said Democratic Del. Dylan Behler, who represents parts of Anne Arundel County and serves on the House Environment and Transportation Committee.

Behler, who organized the effort, said the issue caught the attention of lawmakers from the conservative Maryland Freedom Caucus and the more Democratic-led Montgomery County.

“The success of the industry is the success of Maryland,” he said.

In the letter, Behler and Sen. Dawn Gile, also a Democrat from Anne Arundel, write that wineries may not have grapes to sell as early as this fall due to the weather event, which caused “one of the most significant grape losses in more than a decade.”

The letter cites industry reports that say the cold destroyed 50% to 100% of the early crops at local wineries, depending on the area — meaning at least half of the state’s usual 1,000 grape-producing acres will not have fruit. The state’s industry expects to lose about $22 million in retail wine value and another $890,000 in grape sales, the letter said.

“We strongly encourage your administration to authorize emergency funds to help farmers stay afloat,” it reads.

In Mount Airy, where Black Ankle Vineyards lost all 100 acres of its grape buds, the letter is viewed as an encouraging step toward healing.

“More than anything we feel seen,” said Emma Pope, a spokesperson for the vineyard.

She described the crop loss as a heartbreaking start to the season but said the bipartisan support behind disbursing emergency funds shows how important the state’s viticulture has become. Pope also said aid for wineries is not a new concept. After a cold snap hit Vermont wineries in May 2023, state leaders pursued federal disaster aid and made emergency loans available.

The Maryland Farm Bureau is similarly urging U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to declare the freeze a disaster to unlock assistance, according to a letter the group posted to its Facebook page Thursday.

Pope said it’s too early to know the extent of the damage to the crops because, after cold snaps, the weather usually rebounds with higher temperatures, allowing the vines to recover. But that has yet to happen this season.

Instead, the cooler weather is causing Pope’s vines to wither and show signs of death, which would require the business to spend more time and money to replant.

“In a perfect world, we’d see the vines pushing out secondary fruit and bouncing back,” she said.

Until then, Pope said, all her team can do is hope for better weather.