# The year of the acid



## GreginND (Sep 25, 2013)

With a late spring and relatively cool summer, it is turning out to be a high acid year in North Dakota and Minnesota. Here are the latest numbers from NDSU's test vineyard in Absaraka, ND. Sugar levels are fine but the pH is very low.

Brix	pH
1	Bluebell	17.6	2.76
2	Campbell's Early	15	2.85
3	Elvira	13	2.56
4	ES 10-18-75 
5	ES 12-6-18 (dirt)	23.4	2.88
6	ES 3-20-33 
7	ES 5-4-71	17.4	2.8
8	ES 9-4-72 
9	Frontenac	24.6	2.89
10	Frontenac Gris	24.8	2.94
11	GR-7	22	2.95
12	John Viola	22.8	2.78
13	King of the North	20.8	2.66
14	Laura's Laughter	18.6	2.6
15	Leon Millot	22.4	3.07
16	Louise Swenson	19.2	2.97
17	Marechal Foch	23.2	3.03
18	Marquette	25.2	2.66
19	MN 1131	26.4	2.83
20	MN 1200	23.8	2.89
21	MN 1220	23.6	2.99
22	MN 1235	22	2.83
23	MN 1258	24.8	2.8
24	Petite Amie	19.6	2.74
25	Prairie Star	22.4	3.1
26	Sabrevois	19.4	2.84
27	St. Croix	19	2.77
28	Steuben	16	2.42
29	TP 1-1-34	19.6	2.61
30	Valiant	21.2	3.12
31	Worden	14.2	2.54


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## JohnT (Sep 25, 2013)

Perhaps they are all just a little under ripe?


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## GreginND (Sep 25, 2013)

Well, yes. That's the problem. But we could get a freeze at any time. We are behind in GDD's and it is getting late.


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## JohnT (Sep 25, 2013)

I keep a candle burning in my window for you.


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## grapeman (Sep 25, 2013)

We are high in acid here to, but the pH is certainly not as bad as there. pH is actually not bad, but the TA is running a bit high. I find it hard to believe the Marquette is a pH of 2.66 at 25 brix! I have a pH of 2.95 with a brix of 24.


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## GreginND (Sep 25, 2013)

Yes, the numbers are really strange this year. Plenty of sugar in most of these grapes but the acid hasn't dropped much. Marquette from 60 miles east of Absaraka in Hawley, MN was at pH 2.9 and 25 brix last week. I'm picking on Saturday expecting the pH to be over 3.

One factor that might be operative here is canopy management. I don't know how much sun exposure the grapes have had in the NDSU vineyards. And I don't now what trellis they are using.

By the way, number 5 there - ES 12-6-18 - is labeled as "dirt". It actually DOES taste just like dirt. And is a running joke around here as the "dirt" wine. It has some good qualities and is hardy, but the wine is terrible. NDSU keeps growing for cross breeding but none of the winemakers want to take the grapes and vint them.


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## UBB (Sep 26, 2013)

My Marquette (albeit very small harvest) came in at 25 brix and the PH with my meter measured at 3.01


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## OilnH2O (Oct 6, 2013)

Just for comparison, my Leon Millot and M. Foch vines came in at 18.8 Brix, 2.99 pH and TA was 0.90. Similar conditions here, west of the divide, with lots of September rain and cloudy days.


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## LaughingWaterWine (Jan 18, 2014)

GreginND.. I am wondering if you know where I can get frozen Marquette grapes. I am planning on planting this variety and would like to start working with it.
thanks


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## GreginND (Jan 18, 2014)

Unfortunately I doubt you will be able to find any marquette available now. You may want to start talking to growers now to make arrangements for buying some grapes from the 2014 harvest. I don't know of anyone who freezes them and sells them. The 300 pounds I have in the freezer I can't part with.


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## LaughingWaterWine (Jan 19, 2014)

i kind of figured that was the case. thanks i'll start lookin' for next year.


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