Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/197145
WineEast Improving Eastern Industry Profitability USDA Specialty Crop Research Initiative aims to boost grape and wine quality and consistency By Tony Wolf and Tremain Hatch W inegrowers in the eastern United States are accustomed to farming wine grapes under a variable climate and challenging conditions. Spring frosts, winter cold, extremes of summer precipitation, possible hurricanes during the ripening season and a wide range of disease and insect pests are all familiar adversities. Despite the risks, the wine industry in the eastern U.S. is experiencing remarkable growth. Vineyard acreage, wine production, winequality benchmarks and total economic impacts are trending upward, due in part to states' marketing efforts and consumer interest in local wines and wineries. A geographical information system, created as part of a wine grape project, maps a site's slope, frost, elevation, aspect and land cover (from left). But for the eastern wine industry to realize continued growth, wine quality and consistency must improve and production costs must decrease. Recognizing that many eastern states face similar constraints to wine industry growth, faculty at several land-grant institutions began discussing a coordinated research and extension initiative in 2009. The springboard for discussions was a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) planning grant to Cornell University researchers Anna Katharine Mansfield and Justine Vanden Heuvel. The planning grant facilitated meetings of viticulture and enology researchers from across the region to discuss industry problems and issues that might have researchable solutions. It also allowed the researchers to convene several industry meetings to gather feedback about stakeholders' perception of industry research and extension needs. Seventy industry NEW Practical Winery Library! Single-subject articles on a wide range of topics From the archives of Practical Winery & Vineyard FREE to all current subscribers! Just log in with your email address. PracticalWineryLibrary.com Win es & Vin es NOV EM b er 20 13 103