Who's Growing What?

[tfries]

We have 64 vines of each of the following:
Pinot Noir 777
Pinot Noir 667
Pinot Noir 115
Pinot Gris
Riesling
and 10 vines Pinot Noir Pommard

The Pinot's are going into their 5th season and the Riesling will be year 4.

 

[ebbutler]

I don't have any vines yet except for some wild ones growing around, mostly in all the wrong places.

I'm planning on planting 350 Alwood and 350 Golden Muscat spring 2013.

I don't know any thing about grapes or wine other than I like to drink sweet wine.

Picked the vines for #1. zone, #2. different than what I've heard others have, #3. one is early and one is late - trying to spread the harvest out.

If all goes well, will expand and then what vines to select?

 

[BobF]

The Navaho just went in a few months ago. I'm expecting the first yield 2013. I chose them over TC and others for the reasons you mentioned. A local nursery here claims they don't need any support, but I'll give them a couple of wires. We'll see how primocane development goes this year.

I'm planning to tip them and prune laterals spring of '13, so they should stand well.

The Navahos broke out full of fruit buds AND new canes emerging. I'm going to let them fruit this year.

 

[BobF]

180' of Navaho blackberries, 30 elderberry (adding 75 more this spring), 2 Danube cherries (adding Black Gold & Lapin this spring), 3 black currant, 2 12' red raspberry rows, also adding 25 golden currants this spring.
Thinking about Honeycrisp apples, but cedar-apple rust is prevalent here.

The new elders, currants and cherry trees are all in and doing well. The previously planted stuff is kickin'!

I also added 5 blueberries instead of the apples.

 

[Poni]

Hi,

I have red, black and yellow raspberries
2 young pear treesd
a young plum tree
blackberries

concords
niagara
catawba
frontenac
leon millot
cayuga
traminette
and corot noir
total of about 60 vines, all but the concords are also young.

Lot's of work, ha!

 

[Randoneur]

2,000 Cab Franc
500 Mourvedre
250 Petit Verdot
1000 Chardonnay
200 Cab Sauv.

Putting in Tannat and Teroldego this year.

Amigoni Urban Winery

How is the Mourvedre? How does it compare to the Cabs for vineyard management? I'm interested in putting a few vines in. Cabs and Chard really do well for me here.

 

[lefluers]

I am wanting to grow something beside muscadine type grapes. I live in the Raleigh, NC. Interested in your feedback.

 

[Lavorgna]

Growing Cayuga, cab franc and lemburger. Hope to harvest something in Oct 2014
Gio

 

[ColemanM]

I've got Marquette, Frontenac, leon Millot, Frontenac Blanc, Catawba and a concord. Grapeman has piqued my interest in MN1200!!!! Can you tell me more, like when it would be available and the wine characteristics?

 

[GreginND]

I just racked my mn1200 yesterday and gave it a taste. After mlf, American and French oak and cold stabilizing it has a rich earthy flavor with dark mocha notes. It is delicious and complex and has a dark inky color. I would love for this grape to be commercialized but I'm not holding my breath.

 

[the_rayway]

In my little yard I've got:

2 x 1 year old cherries (cupid & romeo)
2 x 1 year old apricots (manchurian)
1 giant, well-established rhubarb
3 x 2 year old haskaps
2 x 1 year old blueberries
5 tiny strawberry plants

I'm planting 15 raspberry canes this year: Purple Royalty, my Nana's golden, and Red River.

Hopes are to plant a couple of Marquette vines in the next few years to cover my patio. Maybe one day they will give me enough to make a batch each year!

 

[ColemanM]

Thanks for the great tasting notes Greg. However that makes me even MORE excited about a grape that I will probably never be able to get. Is this a UofM grape? I live in Minnesota and I am hoping for a 3 gallon batch of Marquette next year. I have made 3 gallons of Frontenac this year and it shows some promise. But after this subzero December I am incredibly doubtful I will ever get a Cabernet out of my frozen back yard. Have you heard of michurinets?

 

[grapeman]

ColemanM, the Mn 1200 is a UMinn grape variety they have not released it yet. It was developed at the same time as Marquette but never released (Marquette was Mn 1211). I have over 100 vines of it in a training system trial and was given permission to grow for it that trial by Peter Hemstad and UMinn. It makes the most complex wine from any hybrid in my opinion and Greg sums up just some of its characteristics. This reminds me I need to work on them to release it for it's wine characteristics. While Marquette makes a very good wine, the Mn1200 makes an outstanding wine.

 

[ckvchestnut]

I'm currently growing elderberries, saskatoon berries (june or serviceberry), high bush cranberries, raspberries, blueberries. I have established concord, fredonia and muscadine vines.

I am looking to possibly plant about 30 wine vines this spring and have narrowed my possible choices according to my growth hardiness zone down to Marquette, D.M. 8521-1, possibly Marechal Foch, Sabrevois or St. Croix and Frontenac. I'm in a 4b growing zone. I've read as many posts and threads as I can about what grapes have been posted on, to get an idea of their management and what they are producing in different areas. My specific region gives variable climate conditions but generally the area which I intend to plant has all day sun and good loose well drained sandy loam type soil. Do any of you want to share your opinions on which of these would be best? The nursery I plan to order from says that Frontenac gives cherry and plum flavours, some of you mentioned it can be high in acid I think but that really would depend on the growing season's climate right? Marquette apparently gives blackberry, cherry & blackcurrent flavours. My question is should I just stick with one type? I originally thought to get perhaps 3 different varieties and then figure out which ones to get to blend if I feel like it. Or is it better to get just one type to start with?

I'm focusing on reds for now. My soil is just on the alkaline side but not overly alkaline, can't remember the exact number right now. I'm obviously also going to consult with the nursery directly first but thought I'd ask if any of you have opinions as well! Thanks!

 

[GreginND]

I have the privilege of getting NDSU's test plot MN1200 to make wine out of for their evaluation. This year I got 90 pounds. Wish I could get more.

Rich, please, please, please push them to commercialize it. I am pushing the NDSU folks on my end too. I think we need more evaluation of the wine and let the folks who need to know taste it.

Carolyn, hard to say which way you should go. If you plant more than one varietal you have the opportunity to blend them. But if you plant too many, you won't have enough of one to make a single varietal wine if you want to. So, I guess it's a trade off.

I would definitely plant Marquette. If Marechal Foch is hardy for you, I would add that one too. I can't grow it here. I don't know anything about the DM variety. Personally not a fan of St. Croix or Sabervois. Frontenac is hardy and pretty good but can be out of balance with higher acids.

Have you considered Baltica? I am playing with some of those grapes for the first time this year. It's a lighter bodied red wine but has nice fruity cherry characteristics that are really growing on me.

 

[grapeman]

Check to see what the suppliers have and if there is any restriction on certain varieties. Some Canadian Provinces limit access to some kinds. Marquette is a good one for you. I personally prefer Leon Millot over Marechal Foch and they are from the same breeder originally. St Croix would grow but it can be low sugar and very soft when ripe. Frontenac WILL BE high acid compared to others no matter the year. In a great year it is workable, in a bad year you might as well bottle battery acid. Ask your local wineries what they grow or go into Quebec and ask them. I see you are just on the border with them. You should have a similar climate to the grape growing area southeast of Montreal so you could check there. That area is about 50 miles north of me.

 

[ckvchestnut]

Thanks for the responses! I have never heard of Baltica... Not sure if I have access to it. The nursery I'm planning to buy from is in fact a Quebec nursery and yes my growing region is the same as just east of Montreal, I'm a tiny bit colder than Ottawa, when I was there the zone was 5a, I'm now in 4B. I really wanted to try Baco Noir, and Leon Millot looked good too but according to this nursery they are both out of my hardiness zone. You are right on my dilemma about which way to go, whether to blend or stick to one variety. I could go with 40 vines and do 20 of each but that would be skimping it if I did just want to do the one type. I really like what I have read on the Marquette so that's a definite yes for me. Is frontenac high on acid even in akaline soils? Excuse my amateur questions!

Would any of those I'm considering, blend ok with muscadine, fredonia or concord? So far I have had some good tasting wine from making various blends between those existing three types I already have. I like to have a fruity wine, I also like the darker, berry type flavours. I like dry wine, but like to have fruitiness coming through for sure. I guess my reasoning for trying more than one type at first is to get a feel more for what I might like from my own grapes. If I lean to liking one more than another then I'll focus on increasing that particular type. I appreciate your feedback! Here is the QC nursery I'm considering purchasing from, they only have limited types for my growing zone: http://voloacanursery.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=59_61 the other place is in southern Ontario and is called Vinetech. Oh one more place: http://grapevale.ca Thanks for the feedback!

 

[GreginND]

Yes, Frontenac will be high in acid regardless of the soil.

Are there others around you growing grapes? Perhaps you can think about blending by sourcing grapes from others to round out your varietals.

I have a friend near me who just grows Marquette and focusses on that. He barrel ages it and treats it like a Pinot Noir. His is hands down the best balanced marquette I have tasted. There is something to be said for focussing on one varietal and doing it the best way it can be done.

 

[ckvchestnut]

Thanks Greg... not really, there is one place I know of about 15 mins from me, that has one long row of something growing... but I can't be sure from a distance if it's table or wine grapes, white or red... You are right, I definitely think that focusing on one wine first, to see what I get and experiment with that one type to get really familiar with it prior to blending would be my best avenue... so based on what I've read it seems that Marquette might be a very good first choice?? I really was definitely going to make that at least one of my choices.

To those of you growing Marquette, what sort of flavour profiles are you getting and what's your soil type like? Just trying to see what differences there might be in different growing regions. But as far as hardiness goes, I'm thinking this will not be a waste of my time

That MN1200 sure sounds good, wish it was on the market!

 

[bigdrums2]

Muscadine in 4b? I'm curious as to how well that's working. Please do tell.

I'm currently growing elderberries, saskatoon berries (june or serviceberry), high bush cranberries, raspberries, blueberries. I have established concord, fredonia and muscadine vines.

I am looking to possibly plant about 30 wine vines this spring and have narrowed my possible choices according to my growth hardiness zone down to Marquette, D.M. 8521-1, possibly Marechal Foch, Sabrevois or St. Croix and Frontenac. I'm in a 4b growing zone. I've read as many posts and threads as I can about what grapes have been posted on, to get an idea of their management and what they are producing in different areas. My specific region gives variable climate conditions but generally the area which I intend to plant has all day sun and good loose well drained sandy loam type soil. Do any of you want to share your opinions on which of these would be best? The nursery I plan to order from says that Frontenac gives cherry and plum flavours, some of you mentioned it can be high in acid I think but that really would depend on the growing season's climate right? Marquette apparently gives blackberry, cherry & blackcurrent flavours. My question is should I just stick with one type? I originally thought to get perhaps 3 different varieties and then figure out which ones to get to blend if I feel like it. Or is it better to get just one type to start with?

I'm focusing on reds for now. My soil is just on the alkaline side but not overly alkaline, can't remember the exact number right now. I'm obviously also going to consult with the nursery directly first but thought I'd ask if any of you have opinions as well! Thanks!