Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/246577
Grapegrowing Future unknown Cool- and cold-climate viticulture is aggressively pushing into new territory with the expansion of growing regions worldwide and the increasing recognition that successful cultivation and marketing is a boon to local economic growth and stability. This development raises two important questions: 1. Where will current developments in new cultivar breeding lead us? The innovative viticultural research conducted in very cold regions has stimulated strong interest in wine production. The recent efforts of Elmer Swenson and Peter Hemstad in Minnesota back-crossing to very hardy V. riparia selections have been successful and given rise to small but viable commercial vineyard and winery operations in Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska and both North and South Dakota, where temperatures below -30oF occur annually. The new "super" hardy inter-specific cultivars tolerate these without special protection and possess varying degrees of disease resistance as well. 2. What are the potential impacts of more environmentally sustainable viticultural methods on traditional chemical methods used to control diseases and insect pests? There is increasing interest among grape breeders worldwide in the development of cultivars that are more disease- and pestresistant, even in areas where the public rhetoric speaks with derision when the word "hybrid" is used. We are not aware of all the efforts, but a few have been very good. Among these are the development and release of cultivars Regent, Phoenix and Hibernal from Germany. Other newly bred cultivars with American genes are showing multiple resistances to cold and pests while enjoying premium wine quality. While the EU has shown no interest, they should be welcome additions to new viticultural regions. With the attitudes prevalent in many sectors of the European continent regarding Biodynamic viticultural practices (Kirchmann, 1994) and "frankenfood" from GMO plants (Laudy, 2013), this image might arise once again and be encouraged should very high-quality wines of mixed-species grape cultivars be produced and serve to challenge established "noble" cultivars and regions economically. Vance_Jan11.qxp 11/23/10 9:29 AM Page 1 Win es & Vin es F EB RUA RY 20 14 77