Bomber: Good advice from Murky. You might think about building a stronger grape arbor when the ground thaws. There will always be high winds at this time of year, and when your vines are heavier and more extensive the problems could be worse. Wooden posts sunk 18 inches into the ground are better than a couple of light steel posts that are driven in. Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

Prune out much of the growth in very early spring before it buds, and then spray it regularly through the spring and summer with an antifungal such as copper. I don't see any reason to prune it all the way back to the stump, I would keep the main structure so it will cover the arbor quickly in the spring, but take out all of the intertwined branches and many of the small branches. Do leave enough buds. One rule of thumb on a trellis is one bud every two inches of trellis. If you aim to do that you will see you will be removing most of this season's growth. If you are not sure how much to prune, take a picture, prune some, take another picture, post the two here and we will give you some advice on how much more you need to do. Clear the ground completely underneath the vines so any disease will not overwinter there. Scott PS you probably have a Concord since that is by far the most common grape in your area. Muscadines don't grow that far north.

From what I gather the multiple trunk training is primarily for the more tender varieties. To give them either ground heat with partial burial, snow cover, or just to allow for some dieback. I made a point of choosing very hardy varieties knowing they would be receiving full exposure. What sort of node spacing would indicate strong growth? How far back would you make a "hard cut". All the way back to the previous years growth? Or leaving several nodes on this years growth. Am I remembering correctly that any pruning would be done prior to bud swell? (this may be regional again)

divertate- Interesting question. The way they used to treat lumber was with a copper-arsenate product, and this has been generally discontinued due to toxicity concerns. The new compounds are considered safer, but they still aren't something you should sprinkle on your cornflakes in the morning. Below is a good link that explains this all in a little more detail. I'm also a little uncomfortable with using treated wood around things I consume, particularly when the roots can provide uptake of the chemicals. You might want to consider some alternatives: 1. Dig large post holes, Pour several inches of concrete in the holes, put the treated posts in the holes and finish the concrete pour. I would think that the migration of the chemicals through the concrete should be minimal, and that there would be relatively little chemical transfer between the surface of the posts and the grape vines. However, if you wanted to be absolutely sure, you could encase the aboveground faces of the posts in cedar boards. 2. Get those steel U-shaped brackets that can be bolted onto the bottom of the posts and set them in concrete footings. That way you don't have to use pressure treated wood at all. Here is a link that might be useful: Pressure treated wood