Hey, I am interested in hearing about everyone’s grape wine made from different varietals … (Please list the varietal... and a description of the wine... The reason I post this is because my parents and I have started an organic vineyard. The varieties that we planted are Traminette, Leon Millot, Cayuga White, Norton, Frontenac, Marechal Foch, and a little Chardonel (it’s fussy thats why). The varieties are all between 1-4 years old because they were hit hard by the Missouri late freeze and a very harsh summer but they are all still alive and well. I will also (if I have my way) like to put in Frontenac Gris, Brianna, NY81.0315.17 / 3309 (Cayuga White x Riesling), and Marquette… Does anyone have any comments or experience with any of these varieties of grapes or wine?!? Just looking ahead to when I get to make some… because we should have a little crop this year. Also if anyone has experience with cuttings that advise would be greatly appreciated. Mainly haveing to do with Norton-Cynthiana cuttings. As of now they were soaked for about 24-48 hours in water after being washed in a 5% bleach solution. They where then taken and dipped in rooting hormone and then paced in either paper tubes with soil or just soil. My set up consists of a radiant heated floor in a greenhouse in which I built a wooden box lined with plastic and then covered with about an inch to two inches of sand. On top of that there is either just potting soil or paper tubes containing potting soil. The cuttings are spread between the two. I'm also in the processs of starting about 1000-1500 traminette cuttings as well.....
As the emphasis on this forum is the horticultural side of grapes, I'll refer you to the growwine group of cold climate growers and amateur and professional winemakers, and suggest you check the archives and perhaps sign up to the list. http://www.littlefatwino.com/index2.html LittleFatWino Home Page http://www.littlefatwino.com/growwinelist.html Growwine Listserver For the cuttings it sounds like you've got it right; keep the air side cool to cold and the roots warm to promote rooting over vegetative growth until the roots are developed. The literature is not emphatic one way or the other as regards to rooting hormones. My experience is that it doesn't seem to make any difference but sometimes it makes me feel like I'm helping things along (maybe). Ralph
Ralph Walton Sorry... I made a mistake posting that. It’s just that I’m so interested and excited about grape vines and the many different kinds of wine that can be made. Again I apologize. Thank you very much for the direction and websites!!! They are exactly what I am looking for! Also do you know of any other forums on grape growing or wine? I would be very interested! If you don’t mind I would like to know what you have rooted. Because this is my first year and dont really feel like im doing everything right! Finally after looking around and reading about green cutting propagation I’m not sure I get it? I work at a winery and have access to many other wineries so this means I would be able to take ten times if not more green cuttings this year if I learned how!? Have you ever done any work with green cuttings? Do you know anything about how it works? I have read literature on the process but don’t know exactly how I should set everything up? Thanks A ton! And sorry about my big mistake Drew
With grapes being so easy (and therefore cheap) to propagate from dormant cuttings, this is the preferred method. Green cutting techniques are typically used to rapidly multiply a limited number of plants or cuttings and require a lot more attention and hardware. The usual concerns of cutting propagation are all there only magnified because the green cutting does not have the nutrient resources of a good dormant cutting. You need misting and high humidity because the green cutting will already be transpiring water without a root system to replace the moisture. This also creates an ideal environment for other growing things like molds, bacteria, etc. See if you can find a copy of "Hartmann and Kester's Plant Propagation Principles and Practice" or "the Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation" by Dirr and Heuser. Both have information on green cuttings, but more importantly have a lot of general info on all sorts of propagation that can give you more perspective on the processes. By the way we have over 70 varieties growing and more on the way. Ralph
Foch is a nice grape to work with Quails Gate winery in BC makes a real good old vines Foch. The NY grapes ie traminette, chardonel are nice and will probably work for you in your climate. Check out the Cornell website. Talk to the guys at www.iccve.missouri.edu They can re...ecially were you are living. Good luck Cheers
Hello both prairiegrapes/Ralph Walton prairiegrapes, Do you work at Quails Gate winery or do you just visit? Would you have any suggestions on any of my other proposed varieties? Or comments? I would also like to know if you grow any grapes? I like the cold hearty varieties that are grown north and would really like to see if they grow well father south!? Brianna, Marquette…. Also since I do live somewhat close to mizzou and the wine station out here we have had a good deal of contact with their whole crowd! We often go to their wine seminars on everything from plants to pruning to basics of everything! The problem in that they don’t even think of growing organically! They say "spray this the first.... Spray this the second... Spray this the third!" I just don’t think it’s in their vocabulary! But! I must also work on building connects there as well… maybe I can change their minds? Or maybe it just as well they don’t! Luckily I have a great mentor/boss who is very helpful! Also most of the varieties that are grown around here as of now are Norton/Cynthiana, Vignoles, Vidal Blanc, Seyval Blanc, Chambourcin, Chardonel and Catawba among others! The problem is that almost all of theses are high spray! Excluding Norton… to truly find another organic vinery I have to travel out of state as far as I know. I take that back there has to be one within the state somewhere. Thanks, Drew Ralph, I am interested in trying experimental plants or new varieties that are disease resistant and would grow well in zone ~5- from father north. If you come across any that you think could turn out to produce a decent wine I would love to give them a try! If you want?!? maybe? Hopefully? Or I guess no Any who I just found out that my Norton have finally rooted I’m supper excited! Other then that thank you very much for posting and suggesting those two books! I have been looking around at where I can get them and might order them. I also just spoke to my boss and he has suggests, as do you, to only take dormant cuttings! Thanks! I'm going to look into it anyway because I might as well learn something new. Thanks Drew
Drew: I suggest you Google Blattner grape and look for some of his selections. I don't know if any are available in the US, but Hans Peter Pfeifer of Euro Rootstock & Grapevines, Harrow ,Ontario, Canada is involved and is close to you and may be able to direct you. There are some plants that are part way thru the Certification quarantine at CFIA in Saanich BC, but until they are certified, you won't be able to import the cuttings or plants. These selections show real promise for quality and are selected specifically for disease resistance (they aren't sprayed at all in the test plantings; if they make it, they make it!). Ralph
Drew- Ralph is right about the Blattner grapes. They might be worth trying there. Here's some info for you http://www.ontariograpes.com/disease.html. Also go to the Minnesota Grape Growers website mngrapes.org. The Swenson Hybrids are showing some good promise especially varieties like Marquette, Frontenac and Frontenac Gris. If you check out the viticulture programs in Ohio, Iowa and Nebraska they can also give you some good input. You guys have a lot of disease problems in that area so it's really important to make sure you have right cultivars. Vinifera will survive there but you have to spray a lot. The folks at Cornell might be helpful- check out their grape program. Organic vineyards are a lot of work but it can be done. Good luck
For growing in Missouri I would think Chancellor which is a French hybrid red grape, and has a hardy (3) rating, should fit in quite well as a red wine grape. - Millet
Grapes are interesting plants especially when you make wine. A cultivar that works well in one region doesn't or will not always perform the same in another region. It takes about 25 years to really evaluate a cultivar and see how what kind of wines you can make. Foch was grown for years in the Okanagan Valley when a experienced wine maker used a different vinification technique and old vines 35+ years old he made an amazing wine. Some of the Foch before that was metallic tasting (a characteristic of a poorly made French Hybrid). Chancellor is a good example as well if it's vinified properly you can make a great wine. You have to really do the research- look at the area you are in an be prepared to take risks. Not every cultivar will work. And evry year is different that's the beauty and the challenges of viticulture/winemaking.
