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November 2016 WINES&VINES 107 WINE EAST WINE INDUSTRY NEWS F ayetteville, Ark.—In Sep- tember, the University of Arkansas named two grape varieties that offer promise for quality wines in the mid-South, a region with hot, humid sum- mers and sometimes remarkably chilly winters. Opportunity, a white grape formerly known as A2245, and Enchantment, a red variety known as A2467, were named by Dr. John R. Clark, pro- fessor of horticulture at the Uni- versity of Arkansas. The two grapes were part of a grape-breeding project started by Dr. James N. Moore, professor emeritus of horticulture, at the University's Fruit Research Station in Clarksville, Ark., in the late 1980s. The result of a 1987 cross between Cayuga White (a New York hybrid) and A1754, Opportu- nity was selected in 1991. Enchant- ment was a cross of two unnamed Arkansas varieties, A1628 and A1481, in 1990 and was selected in 1993. The year following selec- tion, a three-vine plot of each va- riety was planted on its own roots at the FRS in fine, sandy loam soil. While the focus of the univer- sity's 53-year-old breeding pro- gram has been on table grapes, Moore made than 100 selections of wine grapes during his project. Gradually the number of selec- tions was reduced, based on ob- servational data taken on a range of characteristics for most years from 1994 through 2015 for Op- portunity and from 1998 through 2015 for Enchantment. In addition, the fruit was hand- picked and taken to Dr. Justin Morris, professor emeritus at the Institute of Food Science and En- gineering at the University of Ar- kansas in Fayetteville. Morris and his assistant, Dr. Renee Threlfall (now research scientist in the hor- ticulture department), then made wine and evaluated the grapes' winemaking potential. Data from the FRS indicate that the average harvest date for Opportunity was Aug. 30, and the juice averaged 17.3° Brix with a pH of 3.5 and a titratable acidity of 0.5%. Clark noted that the finished wine has a fruit- forward aroma with good body and green apple flavor, but he thinks the wine may benefit from some residual sugar. The harvesting date for En- chantment was about Aug. 22. The grapes had an average sugar level of 18.9° Brix, a pH of 3.4 and a titratable acidity of 0.8%. The resulting wine had a deep red color, a cherry-like aroma and a mouthfeel similar to Petite Sirah. The mid-South does not have many red grape cultivars that pro- duce well, and Enchantment may be especially useful because it is a teinturier. It can be blended to improve color in other wines, made into a blush wine or into a dry red that can be oaked. —Linda Jones McKee New Wine Grape Varieties for the Mid-South Create a classic with our new 8 color UV custom glass printing technology. With the best bottle and closure brands on the market, our printed glass experts will work with you to launch your next best seller. Contact Waterloo Container today. Go ahead… judge a book by its cover. Toll Free: 888-539-3922 | waterloocontainer.com The University of Arkansas named the new grape varieties Enchantment (above left) and Opportunity (above right).