Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/830382
June 2017 WINES&VINES 63 WINE EAST GRAPEGROWING suggest that the two northwest AVAs are classi- fied under "region 1," while both southwest AVAs fall within "region 2," according to the Winkler climate region scale from 1-5 (Winkler et al., 1974). It is not only notable that northwest Michigan has significantly more white vinifera acreage, but also that northwest and southwest parts of the state share similar acreages of red vinifera cultivars, which typically favor warmer climates (regions 3-5), with Burgundian Pinot Noir being the most planted red cultivar. This can be explained with the history of growing wine grapes in each region. At its inception, grape production in northwest Mich- igan had no previous history and therefore growers had no preconceived ideas regarding viticultural approaches in the vineyard. Initial vines were planted by wineries, so economics favored vertical integration of production: the vineyard-to-sales approach. There also devel- oped a damage-tolerant philosophy by growers and wineries alike, a philosophy that was se- verely tested in back-to-back polar vortex-in- duced crop losses in 2013-14 and 2014-15. The history of growing grapes in southwest Michigan, on the other hand, dates back to the late 19th century, and early plantings of resistant cultivars were viticulturally integrated to the vineyard management style of established labr- usca cultivars (Kegerreis and Hathaway, 2009). The initial success of wine grapes in both south- west Michigan AVAs opened the door for experi- mental plantings of a wide variety of resistant and vinifera cultivars. The approach to integrating wine grape cultivars in both northwest and southwest Michigan reflect each region's previous knowl- edge of viticulture and their capacity for tak- White grape cultivars are reported in black, while red grape cultivars appear in red. Bolded items are vinifera. MICHIGAN'S TOP FIVE GRAPE CULTIVARS BY ACREAGE Top Five Wine Grape Cultivars in Northwest Michigan (acreage in parenthesis) Rank 1970 1990 2000 2010 2014 1 Vignoles (9 acres) Vignoles (48 acres) Riesling (144 acres) Riesling (485 acres) Riesling (560 acres) 2 Aurore (7 acres) Riesling (35 acres) Chardonnay (125 acres) Pinot Noir (196 acres) Pinot Noir (215 acres) 3 De Chaunac (6 acres) Chardonnay (30 acres) Pinot Noir (55 acres) Chardonnay (165 acres) Chardonnay (190 acres) 4 Seyval (4 acres) De Chaunac (18 acres) Pinot Gris (44 acres) Pinot Gris (155 acres) Pinot Gris (175 acres) 5 Marechal Foch (1 acre) Seyval (16 acres) Vignoles (38 acres) Cabernet Franc (92 acres) Cabernet Franc (110 acres) Top Five Wine Grape Cultivars in Southwest Michigan (acreage in parenthesis) Rank 1970 1990 2000 2010 2014 1 Vidal Blanc (24 acres) Vidal Blanc (162 acres) Vidal Blanc (117 acres) Vidal Blanc (125 acres) Vidal Blanc (135 acres) 2 Baco Noir (22 acres) Seyval (78 acres) Seyval (85 acres) Riesling (100 acres) Riesling (110 acres) 3 Marechal Foch (15 acres) Vignoles (56 acres) Vignoles (65 acres) Marechal Foch (62 acres) Cabernet Franc (60 acres) 4 Seyval (4 acres) Marechal Foch (34 acres) Marechal Foch (58 acres) Cabernet Franc (55 acres) Chambourcin (63 acres) 5 Aurore (1 acre) Chardonnay (27 acres) Chardonnay (47 acres) Pinot Gris (53 acres) Marechal Foch (56 acres)