roostertail
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Hello there, first post, and happy I found this forum, a wealth of knowledge to be had here for sure!
I'll be planting a moderate size test vineyard in the spring, and would appreciate any and all input and suggestions from the board.
I'm located in the eastern panhandle of West Virginia, just outside the Shenandoah Valley AVA. Our climate is fairly mild and a bit more cool and dry than the mid Atlantic region due to the rain shadow effect of the Appalachians to our west. Hardiness zone is 6b, heat summation around 3000 gdg, and our yearly rainfall runs about 35-40".
The vineyard site is on about a 10° slope facing Southeast at 850' elevation. I haven't done a soil sample yet, but I know it's well drained and based on the rest of the farm, I'm going to guess it's fairly infertile and slightly acidic. I plan on putting in 100 vines of mostly vinifera to see what works and what doesn't, then playing it by ear from there.
My chosen varieties are based on what is being grown commercially in nearby Virginia and Maryland. I plan on 10 varieties, 10 vines each, with 4 red vinifera, 2 red hybrids, 2 white vinifera, and 2 white hybrids.
Red vinifera: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, and either Merlot or Pinot Noir, both of which are hit or miss in this area
Red hybrid: Chambourcin, and either Chancellor or another similar variey, suggestions welcome
White Vinifera: Chardonnay, and either Riesling, Guerztraminer (however you spell it) or Viognier
White hybrid: Here is where I'm having trouble. I want one full-bodied, ageable varietal (chardonnay like) and one aromatic, fruity varietal (riesling like.) Possibilities include Chardonel, Traminette, Seyval Blanc, Vidal Blanc, etc.
This came out longer than I expected, so I'll end it here. Any questions, comments, or concerns are welcome!
I'll be planting a moderate size test vineyard in the spring, and would appreciate any and all input and suggestions from the board.
I'm located in the eastern panhandle of West Virginia, just outside the Shenandoah Valley AVA. Our climate is fairly mild and a bit more cool and dry than the mid Atlantic region due to the rain shadow effect of the Appalachians to our west. Hardiness zone is 6b, heat summation around 3000 gdg, and our yearly rainfall runs about 35-40".
The vineyard site is on about a 10° slope facing Southeast at 850' elevation. I haven't done a soil sample yet, but I know it's well drained and based on the rest of the farm, I'm going to guess it's fairly infertile and slightly acidic. I plan on putting in 100 vines of mostly vinifera to see what works and what doesn't, then playing it by ear from there.
My chosen varieties are based on what is being grown commercially in nearby Virginia and Maryland. I plan on 10 varieties, 10 vines each, with 4 red vinifera, 2 red hybrids, 2 white vinifera, and 2 white hybrids.
Red vinifera: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, and either Merlot or Pinot Noir, both of which are hit or miss in this area
Red hybrid: Chambourcin, and either Chancellor or another similar variey, suggestions welcome
White Vinifera: Chardonnay, and either Riesling, Guerztraminer (however you spell it) or Viognier
White hybrid: Here is where I'm having trouble. I want one full-bodied, ageable varietal (chardonnay like) and one aromatic, fruity varietal (riesling like.) Possibilities include Chardonel, Traminette, Seyval Blanc, Vidal Blanc, etc.
This came out longer than I expected, so I'll end it here. Any questions, comments, or concerns are welcome!