Selecting grape varieties to grow

[Goodfella]

Hello all....


How would one go about seleting the best Grape variety for where you live. I know you need to match the variety to the climate where you will be growing... ect.... ect.


I'm sure there is many sources, But I'm not having much luck finding a good one.


Any advise would be great.


Joel

 

[AlFulchino]

i dont recall your location......start w trying wines that you see made in your area...also ( like i have done) contact the uc davis stockpile of FREE cuttings....i hear AA Vineyards is good...i have also used andy farmer in VT

so many sources...but start w the wine itself that YOU like

 

[Goodfella]

HAHA....


This is the tough part..... I live in Provo, Utah. (ouch)


But I am thinking of getting a place in, or near Astoria, Oregon.


There are no wineries in Astoria that I know of. Everything is 2 or 3 hours away in Willamette Valley (best Pinot's) IMO


But I'm not sure if grapes would grow well in Astoria. It has very mild weather....


Blackberries grow EVERYWHERE, and Blueberries do good also.

 

[AlFulchino]

i have been in the southwest of oregon...those black berries are almost illegal they are so huge and plentiful......sounds to me like if you are going to be in Oregon then you have a host of nurseries w vines......i am happy for you...w that climate you can do so much....and please do check out that UC Davis thing, if you need a link i will go find it

 

[Goodfella]

I started reading about UC Davis.... Impressive. (Thanks)


I really like the Northwest tip of Oregon. I love the weather, But not completly sure if wine grapes love it too?


Summers average highs are like 70 degrees....

 

[ibglowin]

Ha ha! Yea check the local vineyards and wineries in your area...

Check the USDA Zone charts by zip code and see what zone Provo is and then purchase good cold hardy grapes for the same zone. Check out Double A Vineyards for more info and prices.

 

[grapeman]

I would really settle on your location before I settled on varieties to grow. Idaho and Oregon are worlds apart in what will grow and RIPEN well. Also if you settle on Oregon, I believe it is a closed state to grapevine shipments. This means you can't ship grapesvines in, so forget out of state sources.


Moving on, there are many coastal areas in the upper northwest where grapes will grow and not die, but they never ripen just because of what you mention about always being 70 degrees. Growers there this year had real problems getting the Pinot anywhere near ripe.


If you want to stay in Idaho and need colder growing vines, you will likely need to grow hybrids. UC Davis is fine for cuttings from vinifera, but if you want American or hybrid vines, then the cuttings need to come from the USDA Repository at Geneva (Cornell Experiment Station). You need a year lead time for either place as all orders need to be placed by November I believe.

 

[AlFulchino]

growing degree days....look up the term and then locate information for each region that you are looking at growing the grapes in...this key figure will help you determine what you can and cannot do....but bear in mind that some growing degree days are better for one crop than another....while lots of heat are good for grapes as is length of time....the same heat is not good for broccoli but could signify two growing seasons at each end of the growing degree cycle....in my area we usually get in the 1200 plus degree day total each yr..(this yr was higher) each yr usually provides enough length of season and enough heat for just barely enough time....yet its always good for short season corn and broccoli...always (barring excessive rain)

rain totals in the NW corner of Oregon would concern me a little

Rich, good to know about the USDA repository...i didnt know about that one, thanks