New vineyard, major newbies to everything - help?

[Jennifer]

Hi!

We've been on our small farm in south-central New Hampshire coming up on two years now, and are finally getting around to putting in a vineyard. And I'm not certain what varieties we want.

I can say we get several feet of snow, but it doesn't usually get DEEPLY cold where we live. It might hit -20 every 5-10 years or so in deep winter, but 0-ish is a more typical low.

My husband is a hobby brewer, but has mostly done beers and a couple batches of mead.

Tastewise neither of us are great wine drinkers, and we're both untutored, but I've got a preference for sweet and fruity in whites and deep/rather dry/cherry-chocolate-rich in red. He says he dislikes "overly tannic." We both say we're new at this, and if most people say "no really, X is the ideal" that they're probably right and we'll adapt over time as we learn more. And it would stink to have to start over in five years with new vines because we didn't listen to good advice in the first place.


Aside from 8 vines of Concords for table grapes in the berry patch, I'm tentatively looking at this distribution:

7 Frontenac
21 Marquette
9 Louise Swinson
5 Prarie Star
7 ???? (accent/"spice it up" vines. No idea whatsoever)


Could I ask you experienced types to tell me if that's about right, or if there's anything in there we should switch out? Or we absolutely have to try?

Thanks so very much!

 

[GreginND]

The varieties you have chosen look good for your tastes and climate. I would suggest a couple of white varieties for your ???? . . . La Crescent is a nice aromatic white grape. And Brianna has flavors of tropical fruits. Both make delicious white wines.

 

[grapeman]

When you say it only gets to 0 and gets to -20 once in a while, you must use that -20 as a basis of what to grow. That said, all the varieties you list are good to that low. One I would shy away from would be the Frontenac. It is generally the first variety beginners choose and later probably 3 out of 4 get rid of them. They give an overpowering flavor and aromas, and the vines are overly vigorous and in constant need of attention. They ripen late most years and the acid levels are sky high. Marquette is a better choice IMHO.

Leon Millot grows well in the Northeast, the must from them is much easier to make wine from and yields can be excellent. You do get a bit of bud damage in extreme cold, but they generally have sufficient number of viable buds even after cold.