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84 WINES&VINES December 2015 GRAPEGROWING WINE EAST this region and southward. These newly estab- lished varieties in Georgia are more similar in character to European wine grapes than the Muscadines (both in the vineyard and winery) and have greater marketing potential outside the tasting room. The leading hybrid varieties being planted include Blanc du Bois, Lenoir and Norton. Minor varieties of interest include the French-American hybrid Villard Blanc and Lomanto, a T.V. Munson hybrid. Taking the road more researched The Texas wine industry has a long history of producing PD-tolerant grape varieties, and it is widely credited with putting cultivars like Blanc du Bois and Lenoir (Black Spanish) on the current map of grape varieties. Plantings of Blanc du Bois in Texas date back to the late 1980s, when the University of Florida first released this variety. Plantings of Lenoir in Texas and Georgia have been identified back to the late 1800s. In 1900, Georgia had thou- sands of acres of grapes in the Southern Pied- mont region, including a test plot at the University of Georgia Experimental Station in Griffin, Ga., containing more than 300 grape varieties including Norton, Lenoir and 32 T.V. Munson hybrids. Work by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension dur- ing the past 10 years has helped to improve vineyard management practices, the selection of training systems and cultural practices to improve wine quality in that state. Auburn University also is evaluating several of these varieties in nearby Alabama to compare growth and yield characteristics. Growers in Georgia are utilizing information from outside the state and have made recent efforts to develop local information about these high-value hybrids. The first research demonstration vineyard in the Southern Piedmont was established in 2012 to study the production potential of four PD-tolerant hybrid grapes—Blanc du Bois, Lenoir, Norton and Villard Blanc—planted on three vine training systems: vertical shoot po- sitioning, Geneva double curtain and Watson (a V-shaped trellis developed in Texas). This demonstration site was established at Trillium Vineyards in Georgia's Haralson County in collaboration with the University of Georgia (UGA), the Vineyard and Winery Association of West Georgia and Westover Viticulture. Funding through the USDA's Specialty Crop Block Grant Program was awarded in 2015 to support data collection and statistical analysis to help growers understand the economic po- tential for each variety and expected quality parameters. The UGA Extension and local grower organizations also use the research demonstration block at Trillium Vineyards for educational workshops about pruning, vine training and vineyard fertility management. Approximately 10% vine death was re- ported in one- to two-year-old Blanc du Bois vines in Carroll and Haralson counties when temperatures dropped down to 0° F during the polar vortex of 2014. Older vines seemed to handle this temperature better, and Norton, Lenoir and Villard Blanc were not affected, indicating that Blanc du Bois may be better suited to sites with good relative elevation from the standpoint of cold-air drainage—and pref- erably in plant hardiness zones 7b and warmer. Norton has increased in acreage during the past decade in the Southern Blue Ridge region, A Villard Blanc vine in its second leaf ripens its first crop at Little Vine Vineyards in Villa Rica, Ga. Promote your wines to leading Zinfandel enthusiasts and extend your winery's relationship in the market. Join Us! We are champions of Zinfandel— America's Heritage Wine Become part of our proud legacy zinfandel.org • 530-274-4900 Zinfandel Advocates & Producers is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. ZAP is dedicated to advancing public knowledge of and appreciation for American Zinfandel and its unique place in our culture and history. You know how good your Zinfandel is...