2005 Annual Report for FNC02-431
Eastern European Wine Grape Varieties for Commercial Use in the Upper Midwest: Evaluation of Viticultural Characteristics in a Test Vineyard
Summary
Tabor Home Vineyards and Winery of Jackson County, Iowa has been family owned and operated for six generations. The 6-acre vineyard was extablished in 1988 and includes a commercial production of Marechal Foch, Catawba, St. Croix, Seyval Blanc and La Crosse. They began their commercial wine production in 1996 and have increased their production by 20-40% each year. In 2004 their winery produced 10,000 gallons of wine and has been exceptionally helpful in the revival of the Iowa wine industry.
Paul Tabor received a 2002 SARE grant to experiment with quality wine grape varieties from Eastern Europe and determine if they are acceptable for commercial use in the upper Midwest. This project would also provide information on the viticulture characteristics of these varieties to prospective growers and Midwest wineries.
This project began when Tabor Home Vineyards and Winery received a license to test and evaluate the winter hardiness and disease resistance of the grapes from Eastern Europe (EE). After obtaining the license they received between 4 and 26 rooted cuttings from 23 EE varieties, totaling 450 plants. These plants were obtained from Southwest Missouri University and planted in a nursery at the Tabor Home Vineyards and Winery.
They found a variety of results in the ripening period for the assortment of wines. Wine that was made from Bianca was evaluated and found to have a much different flavor than wines in the Midwest. The strength and survival rates seemed to be particularly high in the Marechal Foch plants, but the early ripening, high Brix and suitable acid parameters indicate that EE varieties could produce quality grapes in the Midwest. The results showed that winter durability is an important feature and is necessary for wine production.
Overall they were very pleased with the outcome of this project, as the results were encouraging that the Midwest could adopt some of these varieties to further its wine production. “The addition of EE varieties will enhance the natural resource base of commercial wine grapes available in the upper Midwest. The EE could possibly provide the potential for wineries in the Midwest to produce wines with the desirable flavor characteristics of European wines,” stated Tabor.