Willsboro NY Cold Hardy Grape Variety Trial

[grapeman]

I have been entering harvest data from the 2008 harvest and have got a treasure trove of information. Besides harvest totals by vine, we also took the number of clusters per vine and as part of the lab testing, got berry size , brix, TA and pH. We are still waiting for the final lab samples submitted to the lab at Cornell. Once I get them, they will also be entered in the multipage Excel document I created for tracking the vines from beginning of the year to harvest.


I also calculated the average weight of the clusters per vine per variety. That along with the number of clusters per vine will help determine retained buds this coming pruning season. We also will take pruning weights and percentage survival of buds into consideration.


In case anyone is interested the harvest weights were figured on a tons per acre basis and varied by variety. The range was from just under 4 tons per acre on the Prairie Star to a high of just under 10 tons per acre on the NY 76.0844.24 (white grape from Cornell). The Prairie Star suffered a large loss of canes due to high winds during a brittle stage of the young developing canes.


After I have finished tabulating all the data and submit it, I will try to give a summary in the future to those interested. It may be a while before I have permission but I believe in sharing the research data to those it may give assistance to.

 

[NorthernWinos]

Prairie Star was the looser????

 

[AlFulchino]

i am interested in the info, as you are able to make available...thank you - AL

 

[grapeman]

Prairie Star was the looser????

I wouldn't necessarily call it a loser NW. It is known to have a brittle cane problem at early stages of growth. This past spring while it was most vulnerable, we had incessant winds for a week to ten days. Some of the vines were hit so hard with canes breaking off that there were only a very few left on the vine. They looked quite pathetic. As such there were only a few clusters if any left on the vines most affected. There was actually more grapes on them as a whole than I expected. What was there was quite nice. Great clusters, great flavor and good lab numbers. A couple vines lost very few canes and they had a good yield. Cluster size was about 125 grams. Yield without the worst vines was about 15 pounds per vine. Brix- 19.3, pH 3.58, TA 9.5, berry weight 2.01 grams.

 

[NorthernWinos]

The Edelweiss are also pretty brittle, those I grow on a panel and lay down in the winter due to their tenderness....If I try to bend a wild vine they can break off.

Had thought of growing the Prairie Star on a panel also when I first read about it's brittleness, but so far just don't touch them much and they seem to be okay....we get more than our share of winds here.

 

[AlFulchino]

i only have 25 vines of prairie star...i also notices the ease with which they new shoots snapped off in the wind...here is a thought that i am contemplating using IF i keep them.......use a net to supplement the trellis...as the canes or spurs grow during the season you can weave them in and prevent any severe snap-loss of the new growth....i have had no issue w the woody parts of the plant...just the new growth

 

[grapeman]

That might help Al. It sounds doable.


I can't really take any remedial action to reduce this other than some possibilities of training. If I reduce the incidence, then I can't report on the phenomenon. It may not be a concern in any other year since it could be a one time condition being met. I will monitor them further.

 

[AlFulchino]

you are right..if you utilize a remedy people will wonder down the road why Prairie Star has a different trellis...but essentially the cat is out of the bag and you have written on it.

Just like one in ten years may be brutally cold for some of your other vines...last years winds and dry weather in the spring provided the perfect storm for that variety....point being that the remedy is now reported for this vine..( you can even call it the Fulchino Trellis System for Prairie Star or similar vines if you like hahahahah

Second Point being that if a vineyard owner or home owner finds this variety useful in one or more aspects of their wine making, then they have a solution to stave off that one in ten bad year. Even just a couple of extra wires on the trellis would do it...every six inches apart.

 

[grapeman]

Here are a few pictures from Willsboro. We held the annual pruning on Saturday. I took a couple before pictures and one of the group, but don't have an after picture. I will get one later this week when I am down there.


 


 

Here is what one shoot can develop into as a very vigorous cane. It measure 16 feet and has over 150 feet of shoot extension total and weighed almost 4 pounds(more than a normal full vine).

Here are a couple residents of the farm

 

[grapeman]

It has been a relatively cool spring this year and the vines are just a bit behind normal, but growing well. Here are a few pictures of a month and a half after we initially pruned them. We pruned them this year (converted over) to Top Wire Cordon-cane pruned from an Umbrella Kniffen. The trunks arent classic straight. We just tell people we like the knarly twisted look. Most vines converted fairly well with just a few needing a lot of improvement. We are trying to get a more open canopy and lower yields to try and improve the juice numbers.
 
Last fall we sent 11 varieties of grapes to the winery at Cornell for a comparison, base wine to be made. They made all of them to the same standard procedure and yeast- EC-1118. It certainly was not the best choice of yeast IMHO. We had an initial tasting last evening of those 11 wines. The whites were but a fraction of their potential. They need a better yeast than the neutral 1118. Flavors and aromas were very muted. Even the LaCrescent was very shallow and lacked it's classic aroma. None of the wines were sweetened any to help bring out the fruit. I had brought a few bottles of finished wine for comparison.  What a difference the yeast, cold stabilization and slight sweetening made. I will try to give more details later in another post.
 

 

[Waldo]

Beautiful.....Absolutely Beautiful !!!!

 

[AlFulchino]

Hi Rich...all looking good....tell me more about what yeast selections you think are better and for what grapes..thanks


lastly..if those are twisted and gnarled i better not show you some of mine...i believe you would label them 'what the hell is that!"

 

[rrawhide]

Rich


All I can say is 'WOW' - you do know how to have some fun - - -


still pushing dirt on my new plot - - -


more pictures later


rrawhide

 

[grapeman]

The year progresses cool and cloudy. Days like yesterday and today have been rare so take advantage of them. Bloom is just beginning almost a week late. A few pictures for you all.

 

[bilbo-in-maine]

There they are - little flowers. I guess there is hope for coastal Maine then, too

 

[Travisty]

B-E-A-Utiful!

 

[rrawhide]

lookin' good Rich


Keep up the great work!!





rrawhide

 

[hannabarn]

Absolutly beautiful, Rich. I can't wait to come and see them up close in person!

 

[bilbo-in-maine]

Rich - What's going on at Willsboro about now?

 

[grapeman]

Rich - What's going on at Willsboro about now?

Work! Ha Ha Ha!


I have been shoot and cluster thinning recently. I don't like to do it too soon and make the vines go too vegetative. Late July to mid August here seems to work good. I have been dropping about 10-20 pounds per vine on some of them and still leaving a big crop.


The vines are just beginning veraison(for all you French folks and Verasion for the rest of you). Only the earliest varieties so far. They are running about 10 days behind normal this year.


When the grapes get more color to them to show, I will get some more pictures. It won't be long and we will apply the netting. We are going to try 4 foot VineSide netting this year even though they are TWC. I'm hoping I may be able to keep doing some skirting after the nets are on that way.


How's the weather over thre in Maine?