Wines & Vines

May 2013 Packaging Issue

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WineEast The Northern Grapes Project Includes Researchers From These Universities and Cooperative Extensions • Cornell University • Iowa State University • Michigan State University • North Dakota State University • Oklahoma State University • South Dakota State University • University of Illinois • University of Massachusetts (Amherst) • University of Minnesota • University of Nebraska • University of Vermont • University of Wisconsin • Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station and backyard growers. It's also fairly high yielding, with 10-15 pounds per vine easily obtained. Nonetheless, its wild ancestor produces grapes that are very acidic and highly pigmented. These traits passed down to Frontenac, along with high sugar production, can yield grapes with fruit chemistry that is challenging to work with in the winery. The Brix ranges from 24° to 28°, and total acidity ranges from 10 to 15 grams per liter. However, its aroma profile of intense cherry, black currants and chocolate can make for a pleasing wine when there is a good balance between sugar, acid and alcohol. In some cases, herbaceous notes of green beans, cut grass and evergreen can emerge in Frontenac wines. Many winemakers are finding success in using the wine to make a fruit-forward, off-dry rosé and dessert- The Kuriyama Value™ Wine and Beverage Hoses CLEARBRAID® Discharge WSTF™ Series Suction & Discharge As good As it gets. FT™ Series Suction Sc ™ 45th Anniversary ha 408LL Series Suction & Discharge AMER OF IC um 2013 o is 1968 A INC. A, 350LL Series Washdown KURIYAM POLYWIRE® PLUS Suction & Discharge style wines. Fortified dessert wines are also a very popular style for Frontenac grapes. Although breeding with V. riparia can produce offspring with challenging fruit chemistry for a winemaker, the advantage in breeding is that it has none of the "foxy" or "grapey" aromas that are sometimes associated with hybrid grapes. Although wines have been produced from Concord and Catawba for generations, they have not caught on with the general wine-drinking public who are more accustomed to drinking European wines or wines made from European grapes. Nonetheless, a table grape named Edelweiss, developed at the University of Minnesota by grape breeder Elmer Swenson, has shown much success in the Upper Midwest as a wine grape, and it is popular in tasting rooms. Wine grapes made with V. labrusca-based hybrids are typically harvested early in order to minimize the impact of the foxy aroma on the overall bouquet of the wine. Since the release of Frontenac, there have been two single-bud mutations within the vine that have yielded less-pigmented fruit. The Frontenac family of grapes now includes Frontenac Gris and Frontenac Blanc. Both of these grapes tend to yield fruit with similarly high sugar and high acid chemistry to the original "noir" vine, though this fruit chemistry works well to make crisp white wines. It also makes them rather versatile in the winery, and often they are used to make off-dry white wines and intense dessert wines. The acidity works particularly well to balance sweet wines and prevent them from being too cloying. The aromatic profile of Frontenac Gris is very fruit forward, with notes of apricot and b u r g , Ill in Kuriyama of America, Inc. 360 E. State Parkway • Schaumburg, IL • 60173-5335 USA (847) 755-0360 • Toll-Free FAX: (800) 800-0320 International FAX: (847) 885-0996 • sales@kuriyama.com www.kuriyama.com Natural Corks Champagne Corks Twinline Corks Bartops VISION® Wine Stopper G-Cap® Screw Cap Sales Representatives Chris & Liz Stamp info@lakewoodcork.com Lakewood Cork 4024 State Route 14 Watkins Glen, NY 14891 lakewoodcork.com 607-535-9252 607-535-6656 Fax WI N E S & V I N ES M AY 2013 95

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