Montana Hardy white grape?

[bhoenisch]

Hi all, been reading this forum for a while but this is my first post. Love all information shared here.

I started a few grapes grapes last year on my property near Great Falls, Montana and am looking at planting a few more this spring. Right now I have 3 Frontenac Gris, 2 La Crescent and a Valiant planted last spring. This is purely for hobby purposes and to see if I can actually get these to produce grapes in this climate. I know that the climate here is very harsh (extreme temperature fluctuation and strong winds) so the Valiant grape is mainly to use as an indicator (if it doesn't make it through the winter I might as well give up). I would like to have several white varieties that consistently produce if possible. My question is, what white varieties would be recomended that are extremely hardy and early ripening (we get just under 2000 GDD's here on average).

 

[grapeman]

You can try Louise Swenson, Prairie Star, Adalmiina (ES 6-16-30) and maybe Brianna. They are all viable to under -30F. Adalmiina is the earliest ripening of them, but the grapes don't hold up as well as the others.

 

[GreginND]

Frontenac Blanc is just as hardy as the other frontenac grapes.

 

[Logwerx]

Welcome bhoenisch. I currently have 30 vines groing on my place in Highwood. If you ever want to compare notes or trade ideas come on out. EVERYONE knows where the "idiot trying to grow grapes" lives. We can even crack open a bottle if you want.

 

[bhoenisch]

Adalmiina sounds interesting. I like the early ripening characteristic. Thinking the earlier they ripen and can be harvested the sooner they can build up hardiness. Logwerx,what variety(ies) are you growing in Highwood? Any tips for growing in this area? Thanks for the invite to compare notes. I would like to do that some time.

 

[Logwerx]

I am currently growing Valiant and Frontenac.

 

[bhoenisch]

Logwerx, and Greg, do you have any problems ripening the frontenac grapes? Most of the sources I've read describe them as mid-late season harvest. Which would seem like a tricky situation in our areas with potential frost by late September and wanting to see the vines harden off during that time period as well. Maybe I'm getting too drawn into the climate statistics for our area ( I am a meteorologist by trade with the nws) which is why I find this stuff so interesting/challenging. Maybe GDDs here don't equate very well with GDDs required for MN varieties.

 

[grapeman]

From my experience that is the major problem with Frontenac of any type - it's late ripening. I can easily grow them all here (2200-2400 gdd base 50F), but they are very late ripening and some years don't get to very good numbers for making wine. It is a lot easier to make wine from a grape at 22 brix pH 3.4 and TA of 8 g/L than it is a grape with a brix of 22, pH 2.89 and TA of 18.5 g /L. In a poor ripening year that is all Frontenac can muster. Then there is the number of frost free days, etc.

 

[Logwerx]

Right now I am still in the "Test" phase of my project. I plan on adding some earlier varities also.