Northern Grapes:Integrating Viticulture, Winemaking, and Marketing of New Cold-Hardy Cultivars

Supporting New and Growing Rural WineriesUSDA Specialty Crops Research Initiative Coordinated Agricultural Project (CAP) #2011-51181-30850

Chrislyn A. Particka and Timothy E. MartinsonDepartment of Horticulture

New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, Cornell University

The Northern Grapes Project officially started in September 2011; we initially received two years of funding, and after a “gap year” in funds in Year 3 due to a delay in the farm bill, we were successful in our reapplication, and received two additional years of funds for September 2014 through September 2016. As Year 3 (the year included in this report) was a gap year in funds, the Northern Grapes Project was operating at a somewhat reduced capacity, but team members still moved forward with research and outreach with funds derived from other sources, such as state speciality crop block grants, or from the no-cost extension granted by the USDA. Vineyard studies continued as planned in most locations, despite the extreme low temperatures associated with the polar vortex in the winter of 2013/14 that caused extensive damage to vines in some loca-tions. Winemaking trials were conducted as availability of fruit allowed. The marketing and economics team continued branding and consumer research. In the third year of the project alone, our extensive outreach efforts reached an estimated audience of 5,500 via numerous outlets, including the Northern Grapes Symposium, our capstone event of the year. The Northern Grapes Project Webinar Series, likely the most visible of the outreach products, had a live audience of approximately 600 at the 12 live sessions, and thousands of views of the recorded webinars.

Project Goals and RationaleThe Northern Grapes Project is a coordinated agriculture project (CAP), with objectives encompassing the three Special-ty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) focus areas of production (viticulture), processing and distribution (winemaking) and consumers/markets (vineyard and winery business management and marketing). Its focus is the new cold-hardy varieties developed by the University of Minnesota and private breeders that have made possible grape and wine production in cold-climate areas where it was previously not feasible to grow grapes. These new cultivars have spawned an emerging industry in the upper Midwest and cooler portions of the Northeast and New England composed of over 300 wineries, 3,300 acres of grapes, and 1300 growers.

The project’s goals are to enhance and support growth and development of this industry through a coordinated research and outreach effort focused on varietal performance, specific viticultural and winemaking practices, and marketing/consumer studies. To accomplish these goals, multi-disciplinary teams are addressing:

• Varietal performance and resulting fruit and wine flavor attributes in different climates.• Applying appropriate viticultural practices to achieve consistent fruit characteristics for winemaking.• Applying winemaking practices to the unique fruit composition of cold-climate cultivars to produce distinctive, high

quality wines that consumers will like and purchase.• Understanding consumer preferences and individual/regional marketing strategies that will increase sales and growth of

wines made from cold-climate cultivars and result in sustained profitability of wineries and vineyards.

The project is a partnership among multi-disciplinary research and extension personnel at 11 universities and 23 regional/state winery and grape grower associations. It is managed by a seven-member executive committee, and a project advisory council (PAC) encompassing industry, research, and extension personnel.

Year 3 Progress ReportSeptember 2013 - September 2014

Characterize changes in fruit composition during the ripening phase and how they influence grape chemistry/quality at harvest. This team is characterizing northern grape cultivar ripening from gene expression, to metabolites produced by the grapes, to fruit and wine sensory characteristics. The goal is to understand ripening dynamics and to use this information to develop novel maturity indices that guide cultural practices and harvest timing.

Objective 1: Document cold climate varietal performance in variable climates and understand the resulting sensory characteristics of the fruit and wines.

Evaluate cold-climate cultivar performance under a wide range of climates throughout the upper Midwest and Northeast. This portion of the Northern Grapes Project is performed in conjunction with the USDA NE-1020 coordinated variety trial, which started in 2007. Detailed data on weather and standardized vine phenology, bud morality, disease, and yield were collected for a third year in locations spread across ND, SD, IA, MI, CT, VT, NY, and MA. Fruit samples from five cultivars (Frontenac, Frontenac gris, Marquette, La Crescent, and St. Croix) were collected at veraison and harvest and analyzed for fruit chemistry (organic acids, titratable acidity, sugars, and pH).

Sensory profile analysis: Preliminary characterization of wine aroma profiles using solid phase microextraction and simul-taneous chemical and sensory analyses.Preliminary simultaneous chemical and sensory analysis of Marquette, Frontenac, and St. Croix wine shows 60+ chemical compounds, of which more than 20 produce distinct flavor aroma as detected by human nose, many of which are desirable for enhanced wine aroma. However, there is no data comparing cold climate wine aromas with wines currently marketed, so comparisons and benchmarking of aromas in wines made from cold hardy grapes is warranted. Somchai Rice, Jacek Koziel and Devin Maurer, Iowa State University; Anne Fennell, South Dakota State University

Lindsey Pashow and a volunteer harvest grapes in the Willsboro, NY cold-hardy grape trial.

photo: Amy Ivy

Below are short summaries of each study conducted as part of the Northern Grapes Project. Please click on the study title to access a full research report.*If you are reading a printed copy of this report, it can be found on-line at http://northerngrapesproject.org/?page_id=390

Combined analysis of NE-1020 variety trials in ND, SD, NE, IA, MI, NY, VT, and CT. Since the 2012 growing season, we’ve annually measured vine phenology (bud-burst, bloom, veraison, harvest), yield and yield components, and primary fruit composition at these sites, following a standard data collection protocol. On-site weather data loggers provide hourly temperature and precipitation data during the growing season. Preliminary results have shown yields of ripe fruit of up to 7 T/acre for Frontenac and Marquette. Spring frost injury (2012) and cold injury (2014) limited yield at some sites. By collecting five seasons of crop and weather data, we hope to provide information about vine performance in differ-ent climates that will help growers inform site selection and match cultivars to the most suitable climates.Tim Martinson, Cornell University; Harlene Hatterman-Valenti, North Dakota State University; Anne Fennell and Rhoda Burrows, South Dakota State University; Paul Read, University of Nebras-

ka; Gail Nonnecke, Iowa State University; Paolo Sabbatini, Michigan State University; Terry Bradshaw and Sarah Kingsley-Richards, University of Vermont; Francis J. Ferrandino, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment StationClick to access New York report.In 2005, 25 cold-hardy wine grape varieties were planted at the Willsboro Research Farm in Essex County NY. Since then, eight years of data collected on these vines—including vine vigor, phenology, yield, fruit quality, and winter injury—show that many of these varieties have excellent potential for vineyards in the northeast region of New York. Click to access Vermont report.Vitis riparia-based cultivars Frontenac, LaCrescent, and St Croix continue to perform well at the test location with good bud hardiness and crop yield. However, high acidity in the juice presents a challenge for wine making.

Objective 2: Develop and extend research-based vineyard management practices that allow sustained production of high quality fruit from cold climate cultivars.

Evaluate crop and canopy management strategies to minimize fruit acid content and improve fruit composition.Training system, crop load, and canopy management studies were conducted at cooperating growers’ vineyards on several different cultivars in IA, CT, MI, NE, and NY. Extensive data were collected in all locations, including pruning weights, bud and shoot counts, yield, fruit chemistry, canopy density, time required to conduct cultural practices, and light distribution within the canopy. Extreme cold temperatures during the winter caused damage to buds and trunks. in some areas and im-pacted the results.

St. Croix trained to Hundson River Umbrella in Connecticut.

photo: Francis Ferrandino

Sensory Characterization of Frontenac and Marquette Berries and Wines by Descriptive AnalysisA trained panel at the University of Minnesota performed descriptive analysis on Marquette and Frontenac berries harvested at three - four stages of maturity. As the grapes matured, sweetness, jammy flavors and fermented flavors increased while sourness, astringency, overall flavor and citrus flavor decreased. Frontenac wines made from the later harvested grapes were more sweet, and had more banana, cooked berry, black currant, cooked vegetable and floral aromas than the wines made from the earlier harvested grapes. Frontenac wine made from the earlier harvested grapes was more bitter and sour, and had more mushroom, tamari, and hay flavors than wine made from the later harvested grapes.Emily Del Bel, Zata Vickers and Katie Cook, University of Minnesota; Anne Fennell, South Dakota State University

Frontenac and Marquette Berry Skin and Pulp Char-acterization During Ripening Frontenac and Marquette have differences in antho-cyanins, flavonoids, terpenoids and resveratrol gene expression in pulp and berry skin. The berry skin showed the greatest number of differentially expressed genes and distinct gene sets were identified in two cul-tivars, Frontenac and Marquette. The differential gene expression analysis provides potential markers of aro-ma and flavor differences between the cultivars. The

transcriptomic results will be used to guide metabolite (volatile and chemical) analysis and that can be linked to the flavor and aroma analysis detected by sensory panels. Anne Fennell, South Dakota State University

Frontenac and Marquette berry development, monitored weekly from 30 days post bloom to 20°Brix.

photo: Anne Fennell

Effects of Spacing, Training, and Pruning on Vine Performance and Fruit Quality of St. Croix in ConnecticutCrop yield for St. Croix in Connecticut was significantly higher using top wire training methods (Geneva Double Curtain and Hudson River Umbrella). The Geneva Double Curtain had the greatest productivity due to the doubling of the length of the fruiting canes/cordons. However, on a per unit length basis, the Hudson River Umbrella yielded comparably. Top-wire trained vines out-produced middle-wire trained vines by about a factor of two. Fruit chemistry and berry size was remarkably constant irrespective of training and pruning treatments, as well as plant spacing.Winter bud kill had a much larger impact on cane pruned vines.Francis J. Ferrandino, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station

Marquette, Frontenac, St. Croix, and La Crescent Training Trial in NebraskaWhen northern grape cultivars were tested on a variety of trellising systems in Nebraska, most performed better on a high cordon or Geneva Double Curtain (GDC) system. Yields and soluble solids were significantly higher for Frontenac and Saint Croix when trained to a GDC, with Marquette exhibiting similar crop yield patterns. In addition, titratable acidity exhibited

a downward trend as well. These advantages were attributed to demonstrated better canopy structure, which was evidenced by better measurable sunlight penetration.Paul E. Read and Stephen Gamet, University of Nebraska

Determine optimal mineral nutrition and soil management practices for cold climate cultivars. The goal of this research is to determine the relationship between soil characteristics, leaf petiole and blade nutrient contents, and fruit yield and juice characteristics of Frontenac, La Crescent, and Marquette, and to determine the optimal nutrient con-ditions to maximize fruit yield and quality. Sixteen study sites are located in five states (IA, MN, ND, NY, and SD). Samples were not collected in Year 3 due to lack of funds, but additional data analysis was conducted on previous years’ data.

Marquette Crop Load and Training System Trial for MichiganThe 2013-2014 winter in Michigan was impacted by the polar vortex; many cultivars that normally survive our winters with little to no damage were severely injured by the extreme cold. Our experimental trial on Marquette was partially impacted by the winter temperatures with 20% bud damage. After fruit set, all of the vines were evaluated and assigned to either one of the three treatments being tested (high cropping, medium cropping, and low cropping). The three different levels of yield per vine imposed at fruit set significantly impacted vine yield at harvest but not canopy growth and development. None of the cluster parameters were impacted by the different treatments, while sugar concentration of the berry at harvest was increased by reducing the yield per vine but not phenols and color compounds. Paolo Sabbatini and Pat Murad, Michigan State University

Grapevine Nutrition and Juice QualityHigh tissue N was associated with high yield, cluster size, and YAN, while tissue K was positively correlated with juice pH and tissue Ca was positively related to yield. It is not clear whether these results apply to all three cultivars and both years, and there may be meaningful relationships that can are masked by the inclusion of site as a random effect. Carl Rosen and James Crants, University of Minnesota

Influence of Crop Load on the Quality of ‘Frontenac’, ‘La Crescent’ and ‘Marquette’ GrapesIn Iowa, trials of grapevines receiving variable crop loads, achieved by shoot thinning, with Frontenac, La Crescent, and Marquette showed effects on Frontenac only. Shoot thinning at a rate of 6 shoots per foot of cordon, on a top wire cordon (TWC) training system, produced a higher number of Frontenac clusters as well as a higher overall yield than did thinning to a rate of 5 or 4 shoots per foot of cordon. Grapevine pruning weights and fruit quality indices will be analyzed. In 2015, new crop load trials will be initiated at the Iowa State Univ. Horticulture Research Station on ‘Marquette’ and ‘La Crescent’ to obtain additional information on crop load management.Dylan Rolfes, Paul Domoto and Gail Nonnecke, Iowa State University

Vineyard Training Systems for Improving the Quality of ‘Frontenac’, ‘La Crescent’ and ‘Marquette’ GrapesIn Iowa, trials of different vine training systems in Frontenac, La Crescent, and Marquette showed that additional labor was required to train the Frontenac and La Crescent vines to the vertically oriented training systems (Vertical Shoot Positioning and Scott Henry). While these training systems increased yields in ‘Frontenac’ in 2013, when compared to Top Wire Cordon and Geneva Double Curtain, they produced the opposite effect on ‘La Crescent’ vines. In 2014, the training systems treat-ments were continued in ‘Marquette’ and ‘Frontenac’ cultivars at Snus Hill Winery’s vineyards and plans are in place to con-tinue with these treatments in the 2015 and 2016 growing seasons; data of yield and fruit quality variables will be obtained. Dylan Rolfes, Paul Domoto, Gail Nonnecke and Diana Cochran, Iowa State University

Frontenac Training TrialIn New York training system trials, Frontenac vines trained to Vertical Shoot Position-ing (VSP) had reduced yields compared to Top Wire Cordon (TWC) and Umbrella Kniffin (UK). Fruit chemistry was largely unaffected by training system, but separate analysis of shaded versus exposed clusters revealed that exposed clusters had higher brix and lower titratable acidity than shaded clusters. The 2014 season was marked by

extensive primary bud damage due to winter low temperatures, resulting in little yield; however, no trunk damage was noted.Timothy E. Martinson and Chrislyn A. Particka, Cornell University

Marquette Training TrialIn New York training system trials, Marquette had much higher yields on vines trained to Umbrella Kniffin and Top Wire Cordon than on vines trained to Vertical Shoot Positioning. Fruit chemistry was generally unaffected by the larger crop on UK and TWC; only pH was higher in 2014 on VSP vines. Analysis of shaded vs. exposed clus-ters showed improved fruit chemistry on clusters with good sun exposure. The ex-tremely low temperatures during the winter of 2013-2014 resulted in some bud dam-age, as well as trunk damage on 25% of the vines that led to collapse in late summer. Timothy E. Martinson and Chrislyn A. Particka, Cornell University

Early signs of vine collapse (left) on Marquette vines in New York due to crown gall (right) brought on by severe mid-winter temperatures that damaged trunks.

photos: Chrislyn Particka

Objective 3: Develop and optimize winemaking practices to sustainably produce and market distinctive, high quality wines from cold climate cultivars.

Assess yeast strains for selected cold-hardy cultivars. As little is known about what yeast strains will work best with the unique juice chemistry of the cold-hardy cultivars, enologists at the University of Minnesota and Cornell University are conducting trials with Frontenac, Marquette, La Crescent, and Frontenac gris, using yeasts selected for their ability to enhance desirable aromas in each cultivar.

Develop sustainable pest management recommendations based on cold-climate cultivar copper and sulfur sensitivity and disease resistance. Copper and sulfur pesticide sensitivity trials were conducted in Wisconsin, as injury from these pesticides occurs in some grape cultivars, but the sensitivity of cold-hardy cultivars is not known.

Sulfur injury on Marechal Foch in Wisconsin trials.

photo: Patty McManus

Copper and Sulfur Sensitivity of Northern Grape CultivarsSimilar to our experiments in 2012 and 2013, Marechal Foch and Leon Millot were highly sensitive to sulfur, while no other cultivars were severely affected. Bri-anna showed some sensitivity to copper, but it was not as pronounced as in 2012 and 2013. However, the rate of actual copper was 1.2 lb/acre compared to 2.0 lb/acre in past experiments.Patricia McManus, Victoria Kartanos, Matt Stasiak, and Janet Hedtke; University of Wisconsin-Mad-ison

Yeast Trials for Improved Wine Quality in Cold Climate CultivarsDue to low harvest yields, yeast trials were not performed in 2014 on fruit from NY and VT vineyards. An abbreviated yeast trial was performed at the UMN on La Crescent and Frontenac rosé wines. A sensory evaluation performed on 2012 wines by a panel of 27 cold-climate wine industry members indicated that region played a stronger role in preference ranking than yeast strain for producers. James Luby, University of Minnesota

Microvinification lots were used to assess the ability of different yeast strains to reduce acidity in Marquette wine.

photo: Katie Cook

Optimize deacidification methods for cold climate cultivars.The high acidity of cold hardy cultivars can challenge even the most skilled winemakers. Therefore, enologist are evaluating both biological and chemical methods of reducing acidity during the winemaking process, with the goal of selectively reduc-ing malic acid and retaining tartaric acid, if possible.

Optimizing Deacidification Methods for Cold Climate CultivarsThough double-salt deacification is traditionally performed in juice, a series of experiments assessing the solubility of the two primary calcium salts in wine suggest that double-salt may be more effective at malic acid removal if performed in dry wines. Anna Katharine Mansfield, Cornell University and James Luby, University of Minnesota

Quantify current economic impact of the cold climate grape and wine industry on rural communities and assess impacts of state policy and law that impede or advance its development. Further results from the Year 1 Baseline Survey were published, including Vineyards and Wineries in Iowa,Vineyards and Wineries in North and South Dakota,Vineyards and Wineries in the New England States, Vineyards and Wineries in Wisconsin, and Vineyards and Wineries in Illinois. Research on variations among states in policies related to winery operations were conducted, with the goal of understanding how policies influence the revenue of the emerging wine industry. Further, a brand evaluation study was conducted in February of 2014, in a partnership with the School of Hotel and Tourism Manage-ment at Hong Kong Poly University.

Objective 4: Identify strategies to support sustainable development of businesses based on cold climate cultivars, from the individual winery to regional agri-tourism.

Optimizing yeast nutritional requirements for cold-hardy wine production Adequate yeast assimilable nitrogen (YAN) is necessary for successful wine fermentation. YAN concentration varies by region, cultivar, and season, but initial surveys of riparia-based hybrids suggest that most have what is considered to be ad-equate or high YAN concentrations. This research will measure YAN concentration in cold hardy cultivars and determine the effect of YAN addition on wine sensory profiles. Yeast Assimilable Nitrogen (YAN) Optimization for Fermentation of Cold Climate CultivarsYAN concentration in cold-hardy hybrid winegrapes, like that in V. vinifera grapes, varies widely by year and site. For this reason, YAN concentration must be measured annually to provide winemakers with accurate must nitrogen status. Further, the extreme variance shown in YAN concentration suggests that a typical prophylactic DAP addition, which can be as high as 200 mg/L, will put many musts over the recommended maximum concentration of 400 mg/L. To optimize yeast nutrition, further investigation of the dominant types and concentrations of nitrogen in hybrid cultivars and their impact on hybrid wine flavor is warranted. Anna Katharine Mansfield, Cornell University

Baseline Monitoring for the Cold Hardy Grape and Wine IndustriesCold-hardy wine grape vineyards and locally-sourced wineries remain a small portion of the total economic engine of the industries. However, survey results published in related North-ern Grapes Project publications document the recent growth of the industry. The results also indicate growth is expected to continue in the cold-hardy industry.Brigid Tuck and William C. Gartner, University of Minnesota

Policy Analysis for the Cold Hardy Grape and Wine IndustriesPolicies directed at how tasting rooms operate had the greatest effect on winery revenues. Since the majority of sales to consumers occur through the tasting room for farm wineries, polices that enhance the tasting room experience (e.g. food sales, entertainment) should be carefully examined. There are likely other policies (e.g. local zoning ordinances) that also play an important role in revenue flows to wineries but they were not a part of this analysis. Further studies should expand the range of policies examined. Won Lee and William C. Gartner, University of Minnesota

Brand Research for the Cold Hardy Grape and Wine IndustriesIn the baseline monitoring survey produced for the Northern Grapes Project, winery owners/managers indicated that their most successful marketing efforts were to brand their wines. This study does not refute that management strategy but it does point out the need to brand the

viticulture area and the grapes used in the production of that wine. A lower willingness to pay once region of production was known reveals a bias against cold hardy wines. As wineries expand, what they can charge for a bottle of wine will be affected by the viticulture region of production.William C. Gartner, University of Minnesota

Brigid Tuck speaks about results from the Year 1 Baseline survey at the 2013 Minnesota Grape Growers Association’s Cold Climate Confer-ence.

photo: Cheri Anderson

Complete a production economics study and develop an online, interactive tool for producers to benchmark their costs and returns.Small-scale startup vineyards have different cost structures than well-established commercial vineyards, and existing publi-cations aimed at vinifera grapes do not reflect practices and costs for Northern Grapes producers. An integrated research-extension approach will be employed in collaboration with stakeholders to provide benchmarks of production costs and returns, and make an interactive tool growers can use to benchmark their operation. In 2014, cost studies were developed for hybrid grapes in New York, and work will continue in 2015 and 2016.

Identify the consumers of cold climate wines. Information about consumer behavior and preferences is essential for marketing and product development of cold climate wines. It also provides benchmarks for future studies to assess the impacts of this project and changes in the industry over time, including changes in brand awareness, consumers’ perceptions of the product, and the market penetration of cold cli-mate wines. Surveys were conducted in 15 partner wineries in Michigan and mailed to households in six states.

Establishing cost of production estimates for Hybrid Grapes Growers who are considering planting new or additional vineyards need to carefully weigh the cost of planting and the ex-pected returns. We developed cost studies for various hybrid grapes in New York. These cost and return estimates can help northern grape growers make better production decisions to identify low-cost production practices and to maximize profits.Miguel I. Gómez and Yijia Tang, Cornell University

Who are the Consumers of Cold Climate Wines?The priority of this project was to assess wine consumers awareness and perceptions of wines made from cold climate grapes. The results from the tasting room visitor and household surveys indicate that brand awareness is low; however, those who have tasted these wines generally like them. Don Holecek and Dan McCole, Michigan State University

Northern Grapes Project Outreach Efforts

Outreach in the Northern Grapes Project is integrated with our research effort, in order to consistently deliver information to those working in the cold climate grape industry. In the third year of the project, our outreach efforts reached an estimated audience of 5,500 via the Northern Grapes Webinar Series, the Northern Grapes Enterprise Work-shops, the Northern Grapes Symposium, and other presentations at grower meetings and field days. We also published four editions of the Northern Grapes Newsletter and maintained the Northern Grapes Project website, which had over 7,200 visits this year. We added over 200 members to our Northern Grapes Project Webinar Series listserve (1,645 members total) and initiated a new outreach product, News You Can Use.

The Northern Grapes SymposiumThe third Northern Grapes Symposium was held on February 22, 2014 in St. Paul, MN, in conjunction with the Minnesota Grape Growers Association’s Cold Climate Confer-ence. Team members Tim Martinson, Katie Cook, and Brigid Tuck gave updates on the results of vicitulture, enology, and marketing studies. Carl Rosen gave a separate talk about grapevine nutrition, which contained data from the Northern Grapes Proj-ect vine nutrition studies. Project Director Tim Martinson gave another separate talk about the work being done in collaboration with the NE 1020 project, which evaluates cultivar performance over a wide range of climates.

Peter Hemstad speaks during the 2014 Min-nesota Grape Grower’s Association’s Cold Climate Conference.

photo: Cheri Anderson

Martinson, T., K. Cook and B. Tuck. 22 February, 2014. Northern Grapes Project Update Panel. Minnesota Grape Growers Association Cold Climate Conference. St. Paul, MN.

Rosen, C. 23 February, 2014. Vineyard Nutrition: Tissue and Soil Analysis. Minnesota Grape Growers Association Cold Climate Conference, St. Paul, MN.

Martinson, T. 21 February, 2014. Fruit Quality Parameters: Results of the NGP from eight states. Minnesota Grape Growers Association Cold Climate Conference. St. Paul, MN.

Northern Grapes Enterprise WorkshopsThe Northern Grapes Project sponsored or co-sponsored eight enterprise workshops with participation by over 450 people this year. Many events were part of university field days, while others were stand-alone meetings. Topics varied from a cul-tivar x region tasting workshop to a hands-on pruning workshop held at a cooperating grower’s vineyard. Most speakers at these events were Northern Grapes Project team members, but some featured speakers from outside the project as well.

Burrows, R. and D. Greenlee. April 2014. Pruning Demonstration. Tucker’s Walk Vineyard, Garretson SD.

Hemstad, P., K. Cook, N. Smith, and J. Thull. 7 September 2013. University of Minnesota Grape Breeding and Enology Programs Open House and Field Tour. University of Minnesota Horticul-tural Research Center, Excelsior, MN.

Hemstad, P. J. Luby, K. Cook. 18 January 2014. University of Min-nesota Research Update. University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Chanhassen, MN.

Mansfield, A.K., C. Gerling, T. Martinson and S. Kingsley-Rich-ards. 17 July 2014. Cultivar x Region: An NE1020 and Northern Grapes Project Tasting. Burlington, VT.

Read, P. 1 March, 2014. The Northern Grapes Project. 17th Annual Nebraska Winery and Grape Growers Forum and Trade Show, Kearney, Nebraska.

Participants in the Cultivar x Region: An NE1020 and Northern Grapes Project Tasting workshop tasted through nine flights of Prairie Star, La Crescent, Frontenac gris, Frontenac, Marquette, and St. Croix produced using three different yeast strains.

photo: Anna Katharine Mansfield

Read, P., S. Gamet, and B. Loseke. 10 July 2014. Canopy Management and Field Grafting Field Day. Nissen Wine Vine-yards, Hartington, NE.

Read, P., S. Gamet, and B. Loseke. 17 July, 2014. Winery Renovation, Crop Estimation and Vineyard Management Field Day. Miletta Vista Winery, St. Paul, NE.

Read, P., S. Gamet, and B. Loseke. 23 July 2014. Vineyard Re-Establishment and Stress Management Field Day. Mac’s Creek Winery and Vineyards, Lexington, NE.

Northern Grapes Webinar SeriesThe Northern Grapes Project hosted six webinars this year (monthly, November through April). All webinars were recorded and are archived on the Recorded Webinars tab of the project website. Our webinar email list currently contains over 1645 unique email addresses. Over 600 participants joined the live sessions, and webinar recordings (including webinars from Years 1 and 2) were viewed over 2,400 times. Post-webinar surveys show that viewers are satisfied with the series. When asked if the logistics of the webinar were satisfactory, 90% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed. Participants also indi-cated that they’re finding the series to be educational: an average of 84% said their awareness and 80% said their knowledge of the subjects increased at a moderate or higher level. Chrislyn Particka, Cornell University

Groves, S. 12 November 2013. Th e ABCs of the FSMA: The Food Safety Modernization Act and Wineries.

Haggerty, L. and J. Thull. 10 December 2013. How grape ripen-ing follows growing degree days and Managing vineyards for high quality.

McConnell, G. and D. McCole. 14 January 2014. Planning for future growth and investment in your winery and Best practices for winery collaboration.

Mansfield, A.K. 11 February, 2014. Are you feeding your yeast? The importance of YAN in healthy fermentation.

Gartner, B. 20 March, 2014. Winery policies across the US and in the Northern States Region.

Martinson, T. and P. Sabbatini. 8 April, 2014. Impact of crop load and training systems on viticultural and enological per-formances of Marquette and Frontenac grown in Michigan and New York.

Northern Grapes NewsFour issues of the Northern Grapes News were published in year two, containing 21 articles written primarily by team mem-bers. Some articles contained data and results from the the project, such as the Michigan Wine Tasting Room Research series and an article about enological tannin additions. Many articles covered topics of interest outside of the actual scope of the project, such as managing winter-injured vines and equipment options for small wineries. All newsletters were delivered electronically through project extension personnel and the Advisory Council, and are archived on the “Newsletters” page of the project website.Chrislyn Particka, Cornell University, editor

26 November 2013. Vol 2, Issue 4Cook, K. 2013. Using Selected Yeast Strains to Reduce Wine Total Acidity.

Northern Grapes News 2(4): 1-3.Martinson, T. 2013. Funding and the Future of the Northern Grapes Project.

Northern Grapes News 2(4): 3-4.Particka, C. and B. Gartner. 2013. NGP Team profile: Bill Gartner. Northern

Grapes News 2(4): 5.Holecek, D. and D. McCole. 2013. 2012 Michigan Wine Tasting Room Re-

search – A Series: Issue #2, Tasting Room Visitors’ Wine Purchase & Con-sumption. Northern Grapes News 2(4): 6-7.

2 September, 2014. Vol 3, Issue 3 Luby, J. 2014. Northern Grape-omics: The Fruit Composition Team is Unraveling Grape Flavors. Northern Grapes News

3(3): 1-3.McCole, D., D. Holecek, and L. Popp. 2014. Understanding the Travel Behaviors of Wine Tourists in Michigan’s Leelanau

Peninsula. Northern Grapes News 3(3): 3-5.Mansfield, A. K. 2014. Northern Grapes & NE1020 Cultivar Tasting. Northern Grapes News 3(3): 4.Particka, C. and T. Martinson. 2014. NGP team profile: Tim Martinson. Northern Grapes News 3(3): 6.Gerling, C. and C. Particka. 2014. NGP team profile: Chrislyn Particka. Northern Grapes News 3(3): 7.Domoto, P. 2014. Training Systems for Grapevines. Northern Grapes News 3(3): 8-11.

19 June 2014. Vol 3, Issue 2Sabbatini, P. 2014. Managing Winter-Injured Vines Northern Grapes News 3(2): 1-2. Particka, C. and M. Gomez. 2014. NGP team profile: Miguel Gomez. Northern Grapes News 3(2): 3.Holecek, D. and D. McCole. 2014. 2012 Michigan Wine Tasting Room Reesarch: A Series. Issue #4, The Impact of Tast-

ing Room Fees on Wine Purchases. Northern Grapes News 3(2): 4-5.Particka, C. 2014. Northern Grapes Project Funding Update. Northern Grapes News 3(2): 5.Gerling, C. 2014. Equipment for Small Wineries. Northern Grapes News 3(2): 6-9.

28 February 2014. Vol 3, Issue 1Groves, S. 2014. Using Enological Tannin Additions to Enhance Red Wine

Structure and Mouthfeel. Northern Grapes News 3(1): 1-3.Particka, C. and A. Fennell 2014. NGP Team profile: Anne Fennell. Northern

Grapes News 3(1): 3-4. Particka, C. and R. Burrows. 2014. NGP Team profile: Rhoda Burrows.

Northern Grapes News 3(1): 4-5.Particka, C. and H. Hatterman-Valenti. 2014. NGP Team profile: Harlene

Hatterman-Valenti. Northern Grapes News 3(1): 5-6.Rosen, C. and J. Crants. 2014. Assessing the Nutrient Status of Cold-Hardy

Wine Grapes. Northern Grapes News 3(1): 6-8.Holecek, D. and D. McCole. 2014. 2012 Michigan Wine Tasting Room Re-

esarch: A Series. Issue #3, Awareness and Perceptions of Cold Hardy Grape Wines. Northern Grapes News 3(1): 8-10.

Northern Grapes News You Can UseIn April, the Northern Grapes Project initiated a new outreach product, News You Can Use. This series is intended to provide the target audience with brief, timely information, generated via research and outreach conducted as part of the Northern Grapes Project, as well as material derived from other sources. Five issues were published during Year 3, and were distributed electronically through project extension personnel and the Advisory Council and is archived on the project website. Chrislyn Particka, Cornell University, editor

Particka, C. 2014. Assessing Bud Injury and Adjusting Pruning. Northern Grapes News You Can Use April: 1-2.

Particka, C. 2014. Grape Disease Management. Northern Grapes News You Can Use May: 1-2.

Martinson, T. 2014. Managing Winter-Injured Vines. Northern Grapes News You Can Use June: 1-4.

Particka, C. 2014. Vineyard Floor Management. Northern Grapes News You Can Use July: 1.

Particka, C. 2014. Grape Berry Ripening. Northern Grapes News You Can Use August: 1-2.

Web PresenceThe Northern Grapes Project Website and Facebook page were further developed and maintained in Year 3. The website logged over 7,200 visits this year, with 14,990 page views by 4,700 users, and an average visit time of almost three and a half minutes. The project website contains general information about the project, as well as ar-chived webinars and newslettters, and data-driven reports developed by team mem-bers. The Facebook page primarily serves as a way to advertise project achievements, upcoming webinars, and publication of newsletters. Chrislyn Particka, Cornell University, webmaster

Other PresentationsMembers of the Northern Grapes Project gave several presentations througout the year. Many were given at the Minnesota Grape Growers Association Cold Climate Conference as well as at annual meetings of professional organizations.

Bavougian, C. and P. Read. June 2014. Evaluating crushed glass mulch, dried distillers grain, and groundcovers for sustain-able vineyard floor management. American Soc. Enology and Viticulture 65th Annual Conference, Austin TX.

Berkett, L., T. Bradshaw, and S. Kingsley-Richards. 15 October 2013. Cold Climate Wine Grape Cultivars: A New Crop in the Northeast and Upper Midwest Regions of the USA. Book of Abstracts of the IOBC-WPRS Working Group Meeting on “Integrated Protection and Production in Viticulture.” Ascona, Switzerland.

Berkett, L., T. Bradshaw, and S. Kingsley-Richards. 15 October 2013. Disease evaluation of selected cold climate wine grape cultivars in Vermont, USA. Book of Abstracts of the IOBC-WPRS Working Group Meeting on “Integrated Protec-tion and Production in Viticulture.” Ascona, Switzerland

Bradshaw, T.L. 19 December 2013. Jack Frost Nipping at Your Nodes: Grapevine Cold Hardiness and Strategies to Handle Winter Cold. 2013 New England Vegetable & Fruit Conference. Manchester, NH.

Burrows, R. 2013. Getting Started: Vineyard Basics. Local Foods Conference, Rapid City, SD.Cook, K., C. Changbin, J. Luby, A. Fennell, A.Deuja, and Y. Yeo. June 2014. ‘Frontenac’ and ‘Frontenac Gris’: Cold-

hardy grapes with novel anthocyanin accumulation patterns. Annual Conference of the American Society for Enology and Viticulture. Austin, TX

Tim Martinson (left) and Sarah Kingsley-Richards (right) talk with participants at the University of Vermont field day about vineyard management.

photo: Terence Bradshaw

Dharmadhikari, M. 7 March 2014. Enological Tannin Additions and the Effect on Structure and Mouthfeel of Marquette and Frontenac Red Wines. Iowa Wine Growers Association Annual Conference. West Des Moines, IA.

Dharmadhikari, M. 7 March 2014. General Northern Grapes Project Updates. Iowa Wine Growers Association Annual Conference. West Des Moines, IA.

Fennell, A. 15 November, 2013. Northern Grapes Research: Fruit ripening pa-rameters and sensory analysis. Local Foods Conference Rapid City, SD

Ferrandino, F. and J. Bravo. 6 August 2014. Barn Display: Cold weather cultivar trials in CT. Plant Science Day, Lockwood Farm, Hamden CT.

Groves, S. 7 March 2014. Effects of the Food Safety Modernization Act on Win-eries. Iowa Wine Growers Association Annual Conference. West Des Moines, IA.

Hatterman-Valenti, H. 5 November 2013. ND state report. NE-1020 annual meeting, Nebraska City, NE.

Hatterman-Valenti, H. 1 February 1 2014. Grape growing for the novice. North Dakota Grape & Wine Association Annual Meeting, Bismarck, ND.

Hatterman-Valenti, H., J. Stenger, and C. Auwarter. 21 August 2014. Evalua-tion of cold-hardy grape cultivars for North Dakota and the NDSU germplasm enhancement project. International Horticulture Congress, Brisbane, Austra-lia.

Hemstad, P. June 2014. From Elmer Swenson to Chardonel. Annual Conference of the American Society for Enology and Viticulture. Austin, TX.

Loseke, B., P. Read and I. Qrunfleh. June 2014. Delay of budbreak on Edelweiss grapevines with multiple applications of Amigo Oil and Naphthaleneacetic acid. Poster P41, American Soc. Enology and Viticulture 65th Annual Conference, Austin, TX.

Luby, J., P. Hemstad, K. Cook, N. Smith, S. Teh, L. Haggerty, and A. Hegeman. August 2014. Breeding and Performance of Vitis riparia-Based Cold Climate Winegrape Cultivars at the University of Minnesota. International Horticulture Con-gress 2014. Brisbane, Australia.

Martinson, T. 11 June 2014. Northern Grapes Project. Montana Vineyard Workshop. Kalispell, MT. Martinson, T. 12 June 2014. Climate and Site. Montana Vineyard Workshop. Kalispell, MT. Martinson, T. 12 June 2014. Keys to a profitable vineyard. Montana Vineyard Workshop. Kalispell, MT. Martinson, T. 13 June 2014. Training system trials. Montana Vineyard Workshop. Kalispell, MT. Martinson, T. 14 June 2014. Field tours with guided discussion. Montana Vineyard Workshop. Martinson, T., J. Luby, A. K. Mansfield, W. Gartner, M. Dharmadhikari, and P. Domoto. August 21, 2014. The Northern

Grapes Project: Integrating Viticulture, Enology, and Marketing of New Cold-Hardy Wine Grape Cultivars in the Midwest and Northeastern US. International Horticulture Congress, Brisbane, Australia.

McCole, D. T. June 2014. Understanding wine tourists in emerging wine regions: A study of tasting room visitors in the U.S. state of Michigan. International Symposium on Society and Resource Management. Hannover, Germany.

McManus, P. 20 January 2014. CuSing at Grape Diseases. Wisconsin Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Growers Conference. Wis-consin Dells, WI.

McManus, P. 22 July 2014. Northwest Wisconsin Vineyard Walk. UW-Extension event, Hudson, WI. Nonnecke, G. 11 Aug. 2014. NGP Update. ISU Fruit and Vegetable Field Day. Iowa State University Hort Station, Ames, IA. Nonnecke, G. 31 Aug. 2014. NGP Update. Mississippi Valley Grape Grower Association. Tabor Vineyard and Winery,

Baldwin, IA. Olson, B., H. Hatterman-Valenti, and C. Auwarter. 28 July 2014. Frontenac response to training system and leaf removal

treatments. American Society of Horticultural Science, Orlando, FL. Read, P. August 2014. Grape and wine production in diverse regions. Keynote presentation in Symposium 10, Grape and

Wine Production in Diverse Regions. International Horticulture Congress 2014. Brisbane, Australia.Read, P. and S. Gamet. August 2014. Sixteen years of cold-climate cultivar evaluation. Oral presentation in Symposium 10,

International Horticulture Congress 2014. Brisbane, Australia.Read, P. and S. Gamet. August 2014. Challenges from off-target herbicide incidents. Digital Poster presentation in Sympo-

sium 10, International Horticulture Congress 2014. Brisbane, Australia.Rosen, C. 20 January 2014. Soil Fertility and Vine Nutrition Research Results from the Northern Grapes Project. Wisconsin

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Conference. Wisconsin Dells, WI.

Rosen, C. 20 January 2014. Our Soils, Our Grapes: An Introduction to Terroir. Wisconsin Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Con-ference. Wisconsin Dells, WI.

Rosen, C. 22 January 2014. Soil Fertility for Wine Grapes. Michigan Wine Grape Vineyard Establishment Conference. We-binar hosted by Michigan State University.

Sideman, B., G. Hamilton, A. Eaton, & T. Bradshaw. 23 July 2014. Vineyard walk and twilight meeting. Barnett Hill Vine-yard, Walpole, NH.

Stenger, J., H. Hatterman-Valenti, and T. Plocher. 1 February 2014. Update on the NDSU grape germplasm enhancement project. North Dakota Grape & Wine Association Annual Meeting, Bismarck, ND.

Yao Y., A. Deuja, V. Khadka, A. Fennell. July 28-Aug2, 2014. Comparative transcriptome analyses of berry ripening in two cold tolerant grape cultivars. IITH Intl Conference on Grapevine Breeding and Genetics, Beijing, China.

Particka, C. and T. Martinson. 2014. Marquette and Frontenac Fruit Composition at Clayton. Veraison to Harvest. 4: 8.Popp, L., and D. McCole. 2014. Understanding tourists’ itineraries in emerging rural tourism regions: The application of

paper-based itinerary mapping methodology to a wine tourism region in Michigan. Current Issues in Tourism. DOI: 10.1080/13683500.2014.942259

Roe, M., J. Cohen, and A. Hegeman. 2014. Regioselective solvent-phase deuteration of polyphenolic compounds informs their identification by mass spectrometry. Anal Biochem, 452:76-85.

Roe M., J. Cohen, and A. Hegeman. 2014. Targeted deuteration of polyphenolics for their qualitative and quantitative me-tabolomic analysis in plant-derived extracts. Methods Mol Biol, 1083:17-29. doi: 10.1007/978-1-62703-661-0_2.

Rolfes, Dylan P. 2014. The effects of canopy management practices on fruit quality of northern-hardy interspecific hybrids of Vitis spp. Iowa State University. 63 pp.

Shapiro, M. and M. Gómez. 2014. Customer satisfaction and sales performance in wine tasting rooms. International Journal of Wine Business Research. 26: 45 – 60.

Tabor, P. and P. Domoto. 2013. Evaluation of wines from the cold hardy wine grape cultivar trial. Iowa State Univ. Research and Demonstration Farm Research Reports, Ames, IA. ISRF13-36: 50-52.

Tuck, B.A., and W.C. Gartner. 2014. Vineyards and Wineries in Illinois: A Status and Economic Contribution Report. Tuck, B.A., and Gartner, W.C. 2014. Vineyards and Wineries in Wisconsin: A Status and Economic Contribution Re-port.

Tuck, B.A., and Gartner, W.C. 2014. Vineyards and Wineries in North and South Dakota: A Status and Economic Con-tribution Report.

Tuck, B.A. and Gartner, W.C. 2014. Vineyards and Wineries in New England: A Status and Economic Contribution Re-port.

Other PublicationsMembers of the Northern Grapes Project published stand-alone extension publications as well as articles in referred journals, and trade magazines, and e-publications on various websites.

Bavougian, C. 2014. Evaluating Crushed Glass Mulch, Dried Distillers Grains and Ground Covers for Sustainable Vineyard Floor Management. PhD Dissertaion, Uni-versity of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE.

Domoto, P., G. Nonnecke, L. Riesselman, and P. Tabor. 2013. NE-1020 Cold hardy wine grape cultivar trial. Iowa State Univ. Research and Demonstration Farm Re-search Reports, Ames, IA. ISRF13-36: 47-49.

Emling J. 2014. Impact of trellis systems and crop load on fruit and wine quality of the super-hardy cultivar Marquette. Michigan State University. Proquest.

Loseke, B. 2014. Delay of Budbreak on Edelweiss Grapevines with Multiple Applica-tions of Amigo Oil and Naphthaleneacetic Acid. M.S. Thesis, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE.

Martinson, T. and C. Particka. 2014. Marquette and Frontenac Plots Harvested at Clayton. Veraison to Harvest. 8: 3.

Martinson, T. and C. Particka. 2014. More on Marquette: Shaded versus Exposed Clusters on the Same Vine. Veraison to Harvest. 9: 7.

Particka, C. and T. Martinson. 2014. Fruit Samples for the Northern Grapes Project. Veraison to Harvest. 1: 7.

Particka, C. and T. Martinson. 2014. Marquette and Frontenac Fruit Composition at Clayton. Veraison to Harvest. 3: 9.

Other Newsletters, Blogs, Listserves, and Websites Associated with the Northern Grapes ProjectMembers of the Northern Grapes Project maintain a variety of web resources that are used to assist in distributing outreach products created by the project.

Popular Press and RadioThe Northern Grapes Project was featured in several popular press articles, with articles writen by team members as well as journalists.Anderson, J. 2014. U of M Touts Economic Impact of “Cold-Hardy” Wine Grapes. Twin Cities Business Magazine. Febru-

ary. Holecek, D. and D.T. McCole. 2013. Wine tasting room visitors’ behaviors and visit history: A Michigan case study. Grape

and Wine, September 4, pp. 7-8.Jones McKee, L. 014. Economic Impact of Cold-Climate Grapes Hits $401 Million. Wines & Vines Magazine. February. Read, P. E. 2014. Announcing the University of Nebraska Viticulture Program Field Days. Radio program provided to the

Nebraska radio network stations (UNL Media Center production).Sabbatini P. and G.S. Howell. 2014. Vitis Hybrids; History and current status. Wines and Vines, February; pp 74-80.

Bradshaw, T. (Moderator). VT Grapes listserve. Communications venue for IPM and horticultural information for commercial grape growers.

Bradshaw, T. and S. Kingsley-Richards. (Contact) The University of Vermont Grape Website.

Burrows, R. (Moderator). SD Grapes listserve. Communications venue for news & events, discussions among growers.

Cochran, D. (Contact). Iowa State University Viticulture Home Page. Includes a link to the Northern Grapes Project website. Under “ISU Research”, a description of the ISU horticulture department’s research activity in the Northern Grapes Project with progress reports on the canopy management practices study, and the NE-1020 cold-hardy grape cultivar study.

Fennell, A. and Burrows, R. (Webmasters). South Dakota Grapes Website. In-formation for commercial grape growers in South Dakota, including produc-tion information, variety descriptions, news and events, and links for further information.

Ferrandino, F. CT vineyard disease-risk announcements.

Hansen D., J. Van Fossan, J. Luby, and P. Hemstad (Webmasters). University of Minnesota Grape Website. Information on sources, culture and winemaking from University of Minnesota cold climate grape cultivars.

Hatterman-Valenti, H. (Moderator). ND Grape listserve. Communications venue for news & events, discussions among growers.

Martinson, T. (Administrator). Northern New York Grape Management Update. Blog that posts timely information for grape producers in the northernmost portions of New York State and results of Northern Grapes Project studies.

Martinson, T. and A. Wallis. (Admistrators). Corenll Cooperative Extension Cold Hardy Grapes Listserve. Communica-tion venue for grape growers in Northern New York. 189 recipient emails.

Tuck, B.A. and Gartner, W.C. 2014. Vineyards and Wineries in Iowa: A Status and Economic Contribution Report. Tuck, B.A. and Gartner, W.C. 2014. Economic Contribution: Vineyards and Wineries of the North. Tuck, B.A. and Gartner, W.C. 2013. Vineyards and Wineries in New York: A Status and Economic Contribution Report. Tuck, B.A. and Gartner, W.C. 2013. Vineyards and Wineries in Nebraska: A Status and Economic Contribution Report.Wallis, A. and L. Pashow. 2014. Brix Measurements at Willsboro. Veraison to Harvest. 1: 7.

Connecticut Vineyard and Winery AssociationConnecticut Farm Wine Development Council

Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners AssociationIowa Wine Growers Association

Lake Champlain WinesMassachusetts Farm Wineries and Growers Association

Michigan Grape and Wine Industry CouncilMinnesota Farm Winery Association

Minnesota Grape Growers AssociationNebraska Winery and Grape Growers Association

New Hampshire Winery AssociationNew York Wine and Grape Foundation

North Dakota Grape and Wine AssociationNorthern Illinois Wine Growers

Northern New York Wine Grape Growers AssociationPennsylvania Winery Association

Scenic Rivers Grape and Wine Association South Dakota Specialty Producers Association

South Dakota Winegrowers Association Upper Hudson Valley Wine and Grape Association

Vermont Grape and Wine CouncilWestern Iowa Grape Growers Association

Wisconsin Grape Growers Association

Northern Grapes Project Thanks Our Partnering Industry Associations

© 2015

The Northern Grapes Project is funded by the USDA’s Specialty Crops Research Initiative Program of the National Institute for Food and Agriculture, Project #2011-51181-30850

Visit our sister site eViticulture.org eViticulture.org is the national online viticulture resource containing the latest science-based information for viticulturists.

Visit us on-line at www.northerngrapesproject.org