Planting this spring.

[Johnd]

So do I, but why don't you disabuse yourself and click on the link I provided and find out what -40 F is in Celsius?

Me thinks he much prefers abuse........

 

[CDrew]

That's not fully accurate, it's as tolerant as Riesling is. Research shows that's cab franc can go to -40 and live without significant damage.

So CK55, how much cab franc have you grown in Illinois? Do you know that Riesling is "tolerant"? Do you even know what it is? You keep appealing to higher authority ("Research shows") without quoting sources. You continue to post advice about things you know absolutely nothing about. Dude, stop posting. Everything you post is drivel, speculation, grandiose delusions, or pure nonsense. Most of it, the latter. Yet you post like you actually know, which is a cardinal sin when you actually don't. Because you don't have any knowledge or practical experience with wine making. I would hate to think someone took your advice as fact. You are a legend in your own mind and internet fraud. You are 22 years old with no experience with basically anything.

You never can remember your sources, have data, or post hard facts. You conveniently forget your sources, and despite being called out multiple times for outright lying, continue to post like you have something to offer, which you don't. My recommendation: post only things you have personal experience with. Like wine that went bad. Do not post things you read vaguely, somewhere, elsewhere, that you can't remember and can't quote. No one appreciates it, and this forum suffers from it.

 

[VillaVino]

Pick up the book From Vines to Wines and you will have all your vineyard questions answered. I read it many times when I started my vineyard. As for varieties, Marquette makes for a very good wine. I have Lacresent but they are the biggest PITA grapes to grow. They make a good wine but the effort is quite high. Brianna is easy to grow and makes a good wine. I live on the 44th parallel in Wisconsin. Good luck.

 

[wxtrendsguy]

So back to the OP..can you grow Cab Franc in southern IL? I checked the last several years of weather records in St Louis including the very cold winter of 2014-2015. The verdict is I think you can grow it and it will likely ripen as your last spring frost is around April 15 and first fall frost in late October. That should be enough season to get a crop in. The lowest temps in the last several years has been -6F at St Louis so its probably ok to plant, if you wanted to try something else Chardonnay might work too. You are going to want to learn about leaf pulling and managing your canopy. What type of site are you planting on. A hill? Soil type? and etc...

I see a winery south of you called Blue Sky Vineyard grows cab franc. Go pick their brain...

 

[balatonwine]

I see a winery south of you called Blue Sky Vineyard grows cab franc. Go pick their brain...

Good advise. And I would add, go to other wineries that offer American hybrid wine. Why? Because the discussion has been mostly about *if* one can plant the vinifera varieties (Pinot noir and Cabernet franc) there, but not so much if one *should* do so. It all comes down to Terroir. The vinifera may create a wine, with a lot of work given their susceptibility to fungus and other issues which are less an issue for many hybrids, but in the end may not create really a very good wine. So a side by side taste comparison would be ideal. Maybe a hybrid will make a better wine in that area. And, really, it should be about the quality of the wine, not some overly pretentious desire to grow a particular variety, especialy if doing so creates an inferior wine or if one is not prepared to do all the work vinifera may need to make a really good wine.

 

[Dennis Griffith]

Ok, I'm throwing in my 2 cents here. Currently I'm growing America, Buffalo, and Concord. Next spring I'm planting more America, Sherdan, and Cab Franc. I've been researching the various varieties that will grow in Ohio, Zone 6A (similar to your location in Illinois). I've put together a cheat sheet (below) that I've been making. Based on research that I've done and discussions here on the forum, I'll planting Cab Franc Spring of 2019 and Marquette in Spring of 2020. I'm also interested in growing Petite Pearl. If I listed grafted, I plan on using the 101-14 rootstock. Here's the data:

America red 4 early season TWC resistant
DeChaunac red 5 mid-season TWC Mostly resistant
Dornfelder (grafted) rose 6 early season VSP susceptible
Frontenac red/rose 3 late season TWC somewhat resistant
Geneva Red red 4 mid-season TWC susceptible
Leon Millot red 4 early season TWC Botrytis prone
Marechal Foch (grafted) red 5 mid-season TWC mostly resistant
Marquette red 3 early season TWC resistant
Petite Pearl red 4 late season TWC highly resistant
Sabrevios rose 3 early season TWC resistant

 

[JimInNJ]

Dornfelder can make a deep red wine. Ripens a full month before Cab Franc. I do not know how the cold hardiness compares.