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| Climate and vineyard site selection |
| Home > weather > climate > local relief- topagraphy |
| For maps with data about: Growing season length Growing season heat accumulation Winter injury Here are some of the non-climatic factors you'll want to consider in selecting a site: |
| Local relief - topography |
| Topography plays a role in the mesoclimate of a vineyard. For example, south- and west-facing slopes receive more sunlight than north- and east-facing slopes, and thus may be relatively warmer. Topographic relief is important for cold-air drainage from a vineyard; during relatively clear calm conditions and radiation cooling (the type of conditions most frequently associated with abnormally cold temperatures), cold air sinks and flows from higher elevations to lower elevations, eventually accumulating in troughs or valleys and leaving the hilltop and hillsides warmer. Flat sites are at a disadvantage in this respect and may remain colder than nearby slopes. In this map, darker green indicates areas with higher local relief which may have better potential for vineyard development. See a closer view of this map (large file, may take a few moments to download). |
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| Data and maps prepared by Aaron Pollyea, Peter Kurtz, and Tracy Aichele, Michigan Climatological Resources Program, Michigan State University Department of Geography, based on data from the United State Geological Survey National Elevation Database. |
| There is more discussion on the effects of topography and a diagram in Extension Bulletin, Vineyard Establishment I, E-2644 - view text, ordering information.
View more weather and climate information from Michigan State University. |
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05/24/11 Contact: E. Haney