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W i n e s & V i n e s M AY 2 0 1 4 89 WineEast N E W S O F G R A P E S A N D W I N E S I N E A S T E R N N O R T H A M E R I C A I N T H E N E W S p 8 9 G R A P E G R O W I N G p 9 0 Training Trials for Cold-Hardy Grapes Northern Grapes Project releases data from vineyard trials in New York and Michigan I thaca, N.Y.—Dr. Timothy Martinson at Cornell University and Paolo Sabbatini, associate professor of horticulture at Michigan State University, on April 8 reported two years' worth of data (from 2012 and 2013) that was collected during vineyard trials in New York and Michigan as part of the Northern Grapes Project. Training systems tested in the New York trial vineyards included vertical shoot posi- tioning (VSP), top wire cordon and umbrella kniffen for both Marquette and Frontenac. Martinson reported that umbrella kniffen, which is often used in the Finger Lakes with vinifera vines, and top wire cordon produced as much as twice the yield with lower costs for labor than VSP-trained vines. Marquette in particular had a much better yield when trained on a high trellis. Higher yields resulted in lower Brix levels but did not af- fect the level of total acidity. Frontenac clusters exposed to sunlight had higher Brix levels and lower titratable acidity, no matter which training system was used. Sabbatini noted that vineyard trials in Michigan were conducted using Marquette vines that were trained on top-wire cordon (the training system most frequently used for Marquette in Michigan), Geneva double curtain and an experimental system known as moving trellis. The main conclu- sion was that fruit quality at harvest was related to cluster exposure, with grapes at 22.5° Brix and 6.7 total acidity at high yields. Overall, the trials in Michigan have shown that Marquette is very early to bud out, and therefore it is more susceptible to early spring frosts. It also ripens very early (three to five weeks before red vinifera varieties such as Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc). In addition, while the yield per vine had little impact on fruit maturity at harvest, canopy-management practices may have an impact on wine sensory analysis. —Linda Jones McKee winesandvines.com Learn more: Search keywords "Northern Grapes Project." Case By Case Wine and Grape Supplier Your Source for World Class Wine Grapes and Bulk Wines Serving wineries nationwide on a Case By Case basis East and West Coast varieties available: R Winegrapes R Bulk Wine R Juice R Shiners Jim, Owner Northern California Office (707) 671-4126 • jim@casebycasebrokers.com Tom, Domestic and International Sales Southeast Office (864) 401-2297 • tom@casebycasebrokers.com www.casebycasebrokers.com - B E C O PA D - Y E A S T & E N Z Y M E S - C R U S H PA D E Q U I P M E N T - S T E R I L E F I LT R AT I O N - W I N E R Y H O S E - O A K A LT E R N AT I V E S Scientists are comparing training systems for Frontenac growing in Clayton, N.Y.