Wines & Vines

October 2014 Bottles and Labels Issue

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76 W i n e s & V i n e s O C T O b e r 2 0 1 4 Grapegrowing T he Muscat family of grapes is be- lieved to be among the world's oldest cultivated varieties. Long known for making sweet and fruity wines, Muscat's popularity has increased dramatically in recent years. According to data from Nielsen, Moscato sales were up a whopping 73% in 2011. In 2012, Muscat varieties as a whole were up 33% and edged out Sauvignon Blanc as the third most popular white wine in the United States. Even with growth slowing to a tamer 13% in 2013, Muscat sales are still on an upward trend. Muscat production in this country is dom- inated by California, but eastern wineries needn't sit on the sidelines while Muscat's popularity rages. Thanks to Cornell Uni- versity's Valvin Muscat cultivar, wineries in many regions of the United States can now enjoy a piece of the action, even those in locations where traditional Muscat varieties prove too difficult to grow. Developed in the 1960s at Cornell Uni- versity's New York State Agricultural Experi- ment Station, Valvin Muscat was known only as NY62.0122.01 until its naming in 2006. It is a complex interspecific hybrid resulting from a cross of Muscat du Moulin (Couderc 299-35) and Muscat Ottonel (see parentage at bottom of page). The cross produced a vine more winter hardy and disease resistant than its pure V. vinifera cousins while maintaining distinctive Mus- cat flavors and aromas. It is an exceptional stand-alone varietal and blending partner. Although Muscat is an ancient family of grapes, it wasn't until the early 1990s that cuttings of Valvin Muscat were available to growers and research cooperators even on an experimental basis. Valvin Muscat has only been released for commercial propa- gation since 2006. This relatively short commercial history means no winery has logged generations of experience with it, and commercial plantings aren't as wide- spread as more established varieties. As a result, Valvin Muscat producers are a fairly small club. To add depth to this temporally shallow pool, I have sought to aggregate information from numerous producers with a record of quality production. Some of the earliest commercial-scale plantings of Valvin Muscat were done at Swedish Hill Winery, located on Cayuga Lake in the Finger Lakes region of New York. Dave Peterson, Swedish Hill's owner, has been working with Valvin to some ex- tent since the early 1990s. He recalls the variety being a slow grower at first, prompt- ing them to hold off cropping the vine until the fourth year. Peterson notes that on their site, despite being slow starters, mature vines are large and can be exces- sively vigorous, especially in light crop years with adequate rainfall. Over-cropping, he says, creates a biennial pattern with crops vacillating from 1 to 7 tons per acre. Once established, this pattern can be difficult to break. To control this, he recommends cluster thinning in some years. Swedish Hill has tried several differ- ent trellis systems, including high-wire cordon, VSP and umbrella, but currently Peterson uses just two long canes tied to the top wire, provided he can carry enough buds to balance the vine. The owners of Swedish Hill found the excessive number of non-count shoots rendered high cordon impractical, while the plants' lackadaisical commitment to upright growth made VSP frustrating and less economical to maintain. Alternately, Jeff Morris, owner of Glenora Farms on Seneca Lake (Dundee, N.Y.), pre- fers VSP on his site. He thinks it's the best way to keep the fruiting zone somewhat open and manage the high vigor. He also says he doesn't worry too much about vines that flop out of the catch wires, as he'll trim them when he summer prunes. Because of Valvin's vinifera background and suspected susceptibility to root phyl- loxera, Cornell recommends the vine be grafted to another rootstock. Experiments by Cornell have shown better pruning WineEast Wine East HIGHLIGHTS • A cross of Muscat du Moulin and Muscat Ottonel, Valvin Muscat is more winter hardy and disease resistant than vinifera. • Mature vines can be large and vigorous, and growers need to control the crop load. • Valvin Muscat should be harvested on taste, between "herbal" and over-ripe, to get pure Muscat aromas. • Many new York winemakers make Valvin Muscat in a frizzante- style. The CO 2 balances the fruit and residual sugar. A New Muscat for Cool Climates Valvin Muscat makes fruity, aromatic, sweeter wines By Chris Stamp Cornell University produced the hybrid known as Valvin Muscat. Lakewood Vineyards planted 10 experimen- tal vines of Valvin Muscat in 1992. Valvin Muscat Muscat Ottonel Muscat du Moulin Pedro Ximenes Couderc 603 Bourrisquou V. rupestris

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