Anyone Growing Marquette Grapes?

[sremick]

I pulled out all my Marquette because they were to difficult to grow organically and replaced them with Petite Pearl. I think Petite Pearl Is the best cold climate wine grape available.

Well, I planted both this year so I guess I'll see how they compare.

 

[GreginND]

I love Petite Pearl. But it, along with Crimson Pearl had a lot of die back last winter up around these parts. It seems that Verona survived better than all the others.

 

[montanarick]

Have Marquette, Petite Pearl, F. Blanc, F. Gris and Frontenac up here in Montana's Flathead Valley and all survived last year's winter. They did however look pretty sad this spring so had my fingers crossed but all did well and are now full of clusters

 

[LittleBearGameFarm]

130, four and five year old vines including Marquette, Petite Pearl, Sabrevois, Foch, Prairie Star, Petite Ami, and Frontenac Blanc, 45 minutes east of Minneapolis. Frontenac Blanc was the only one to leaf out this year. Seems to be a common theme in this area. I'm actually surprised the Blanc seems to have made it through on multiple vineyards. It would have been an easier decision if everything had died back. Not sure if I have the ambition to start from the ground again. It was interesting while it lasted.

 

[ibglowin]

For you guys up north who had severe dieback. Did you have a really cold winter or something bazaar to cause this?

I am down way south in NM but at 6500ft EL and Marquette seems to be turning a corner on me now that it has slowly (like 10 years now) gotten established. I have volcanic/thin/low organic soil so I have to water pretty heavily and add nutrients during the hot summer months but on the flip side I have basically zero disease pressure.

 

[montanarick]

130, four and five year old vines including Marquette, Petite Pearl, Sabrevois, Foch, Prairie Star, Petite Ami, and Frontenac Blanc, 45 minutes east of Minneapolis. Frontenac Blanc was the only one to leaf out this year. Seems to be a common theme in this area. I'm actually surprised the Blanc seems to have made it through on multiple vineyards. It would have been an easier decision if everything had died back. Not sure if I have the ambition to start from the ground again. It was interesting while it lasted.

Wow - sorry to hear that. What caused the demise of your vines?

 

[Masbustelo]

Minnesota had extended periods of minus 40 degrees actual temperatures. For those reading this in months or years to come, note that Verona seemed to be unphased by the low temperatures. I think the potential catch with Verona is how far North it will ripen properly. I like it horticulturally much better that Petite Pearl. The bunches are larger, it seems to have a more orderly growth habit.

 

[montanarick]

Minnesota had extended periods of minus 40 degrees actual temperatures. For those reading this in months or years to come, note that Verona seemed to be unphased by the low temperatures. I think the potential catch with Verona is how far North it will ripen properly. I like it horticulturally much better that Petite Pearl. The bunches are larger, it seems to have a more orderly growth habit.

Yep - guess that will do it. We had some lengthy 20-30 below in February and thought my vines would bite the dust but they all survived quite well

 

[GreginND]

If I recall, we had two notable temperature extremes - one in November with bitter cold and another later in the winter. Having deep freezes at the beginning and end of winter is particularly problematic because cold hardiness develops over months. The vines are not cold hardy down to -30 temps at the beginning of winter. They reach that slowly and then, as the winter warms up, their low temp hardiness limit tends to rise. They reach their maximum hardiness in January, typically.

Here's an article about grape hardiness:

https://grapesandwine.cals.cornell....ssue-5/how-grapevine-buds-gain-and-lose-cold/

 

[GreginND]

FYI - there was also a recent article about cold winter damage masking trunk diseases.

https://fruitgrowersnews.com/articl...5-WyyiueaCVjlcKTgE3AmrA0Y1CEdAkeN6XD-r5B2FiN0

 

[sremick]

When I was contemplating what varieties to plant, one of the places I visited was Shelburne Vineyard. Ethan there had the following to say about Verona:

"As for Verona, it isn't my personal preference...susceptible to Phomopsis, large leaves, big berries, thin skinned that may be prone to cracking/splitting, late to ripen."

 

[GreginND]

When I was contemplating what varieties to plant, one of the places I visited was Shelburne Vineyard. Ethan there had the following to say about Verona:

"As for Verona, it isn't my personal preference...susceptible to Phomopsis, large leaves, big berries, thin skinned that may be prone to cracking/splitting, late to ripen."

But, if it actually produces fruit, isn't that a plus?

 

[Masbustelo]

Regarding the following quote associated with Shelburne Vineyard. As for Verona, it isn't my personal preference...susceptible to Phomopsis, large leaves, big berries, thin skinned that may be prone to cracking/splitting, late to ripen." I visited the Shelburne Vineyard website and noted that they do not grow Verona. I haven't heard or seen these criticisms elsewhere. This is the first year that there will be a general harvest of the Verona, so I would take this criticism attributed to an employee named Ethan with a grain of salt. I have seen no disease appear in my vines whatsoever, with two seasons of high rainfall. Late to ripen, as a problem, has to do with ones latitude, so it wouldn't be a problem for many. I state these defenses on behalf of the breeders who have spent years bring this new variety to the marketplace. Were Shelburne Vineyards producers of Verona, any comments attributed to them would be much more noteworthy.

 

[spaniel]

Marquette has made the best red wine I can grow in Indiana. Unfortunately last year we were on vacation when the Japanese beetles hit and they completely defoliated the vines in under a week. They never really recovered, and then in the winter we got a weekend with 2 consecutive -13F nights. I have no cover or protection for my vineyard. I had to cut them all back to the ground and 6 of 30 are trying to come back. I will replant them next year.

I am truly intrigued by Petite Pearl from what I read here. I was going to expand past my current 16 Oberlin Noir as that wine is pretty good as well but I can't find the stock anymore. My Marachel Foch got decimated as well and after a decade of not making a truly decent wine with that I think I'll replace with Petite Pearl and give that a go.

As an aside, it is REALLY depressing to go into a 100 vine vineyard you have slaved over for 13 years with a chainsaw and cut 80 of them to the ground....

 

[GreginND]

I feel your pain. After seven years, I've never harvested a single grape from 350 vines.

 

[sremick]

I feel your pain. After seven years, I've never harvested a single grape from 350 vines.

WHAT???? Holy crap. As someone who just planted, that's terrifying. What's the story?

 

[GreginND]

WHAT???? Holy crap. As someone who just planted, that's terrifying. What's the story?

I'm not completely sure. It may be the heavy clay subsoil in this area or salinity. But the vines in the lower spots actually seem to grow better than the higher spots, so pooling of salts doesn't make sense. They never got established well and have pretty much died down to the ground every year, even in the mild winters.

 

[montanarick]

Marquette's are pretty hardy grapes. my take on this is that the heavy clay soil is probably the culprit. where does salinity come from? Have you had the soil tested?

 

[Dusan]

When this variation start bud break and flowers?

 

[wood1954]

When this variation start bud break and flowers?

Depends on your climate