Petite pearl

[Markybones]

Ditto, here. Would love to learn how to make a really good Marquette this year. Last year's is just ok...

For the past couple of years I have used Avante yeast for my red wines, Marquette, Petite Pearl, and Verona. The results have been very good!

 

[BRossi]

I made a very good wine from last year. I had 100% Marquette, and also a Marquette/Petite Pearl blend. I adjusted for sugar/Brix and ph. Used RC212 yeast on both. I added Malolactic and oak cubes to my glass carboys. I aged that for 6 mos (without sulfiting after malo), then bottled. This is only my second real vintage, and I’ve been very impressed with results, even after only 5 mos in the bottle. Many compliments from wine drinkers surprised with the quality from a home winemaker.

Excited about 2024 vintage because we had a warmer September resulting in better sugar and slightly better ph. Hope it’s even more drinkable.

 

[Markybones]

I made a very good wine from last year. I had 100% Marquette, and also a Marquette/Petite Pearl blend. I adjusted for sugar/Brix and ph. Used RC212 yeast on both. I added Malolactic and oak cubes to my glass carboys. I aged that for 6 mos (without sulfiting after malo), then bottled. This is only my second real vintage, and I’ve been very impressed with results, even after only 5 mos in the bottle. Many compliments from wine drinkers surprised with the quality from a home winemaker.

Excited about 2024 vintage because we had a warmer September resulting in better sugar and slightly better ph. Hope it’s even more drinkable.

2024 was a good year for us, too, after a very rainy late Spring/early Summer. I co-fermented a blend of 40% Verona, 30% Marquette, and 30% Petite Pearl which I plan to press tomorrow. After my secondary ferment I will rack again and then let it bulk age and clarify in glass carboys until next Fall, and then bottle. Like you, I hoping for a very nice wine.

 

[MiBor]

Im planning on planting both red and white grapes this year. I finally got my hands on a Marquette wine (which is difficult in Illinois). Im glad I bought this wine before I bought the vines because I didnt like it. Its possible that the winery just isnt good at Marquette wine. I also dont like marechal foch. Either way, Im looking for a different red grape now.

I'm not a grower but I felt compelled to chime in since I share your opinion on wines made from hybrid grapes. I've traveled all throughout Michigan and tried the local wines everywhere I went. I had some decent ones that were sold for $30-40 a bottle, but none of them were great in my opinion, regardless of the hype from the producers. I'm not saying that great wines made from cold hardy grapes don't exist, I just haven't found one I really, really liked yet.

If I ever decide to plant grape vines I would start my vine selection by reaching out to a nearby university that has an enology department and find out from them what grows well in my area. From that selection I would try to find what winemaking techniques make the best wines from those grapes and try to find a winery that does just that and try their wines.

There was a thread here on WMT started by @NCWC (if I remember correctly) a few years ago where they described how to make better wines from local grapes using the appassimento technique. You may want to reach out to them and ask for an opinion. I believe they are in Ohio.

These are all my ideas at the moment. I wish you good luck in your vine selection and growing endeavor.

 

[wood1954]

This year i used BIODIVA yeast in my Marquette to try and get a little more flavor and aroma, so far it seems to have worked. I also used Renaissance wine yeast Bravo for more mouthfeel. I also added about 4 oz of tannin to 600 lbs of grape must. I used VP41 MLB to deacidify. Now three weeks later the PH is 3.78, mouthfeel is pretty good. the wine has more flavor and aroma than my 2022 vintage a little more than 2023 vintage. When i put the wine inn barrels I thought i had overdone the tannin addition but after a couple weeks the tannin level dropped a lot, I imagine the tannin and proteins combined and settled out. I posted this because i feel if you take the correct steps you can make a very good wine with Marquette. It also helps to have older vines.
ChuckD is also making wine from my grapes this year, it will be interesting to see the difference in flavor and aroma in a year or so. He did a warm ferment and i did a cool ferment.
After all that i think I'm going to add 6 crimson pearl vines to add more complexity to my wine.
PS the best Marquette wine i ever tasted was from Drumlin Ridge winery in Waunakee WI.