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82 WINES&VINES May 2018 WINEMAKING WINE EAST I n a nascent industry, the focus is constantly on what's new and improved. So not surpris- ingly, seminars on new grapes including Itasca and Crimson Pearl and the latest research on yeast and soil were among the best attended and most buzzed-about presentations at the re- cent Cold Climate Grape Conference. Itasca, a white grape released in 2016 by the University of Minnesota (UM), was the topic at two sessions: a tasting of eight itera- tions and a presentation on growing tech- niques. The annual conference, held March 15-17 in Bloomington, Minn., also included grape breeder Tom Plocher overseeing a tasting and discussion on Crimson Pearl; Scott Labs' Katie Cook delving deeply into yeast nutrition; Iowa State University's (ISU) Mike White re- vealing the dirt on soil (including his "Tighty Whitey Test"), and a rousing keynote address by sommelier Doug Frost. World nexus for Itasca Anticipation for the Itasca discussions was high because commercial vines have been in the ground for only a year or two, although the wines at the tasting came from vines planted during UM's pre-release research process. "The majority of the known amount of Itasca in the world is in this room," said a smiling Drew Horton, UM enology specialist. Eight wines were poured, with two versions each (malolactic fermentation and non-ML) of four different yeast treatments: DV-10 control yeast, Lalvin's K1, AWR1 Alchemy and Laffort VL1. Horton said the VL1 and Alchemy "went right through ML," while the other two had problems completing that fermentation. He also noted that the VL1 yeast raised the pH the most, from 3.08 when the grapes were picked to 3.34. Several of the wines earned multiple votes from attendees as their favorites, and the con- sensus among winemakers afterward was that they preferred the ML renditions. John and Jenny Thull, who manage the 10 acres of re- search vineyards for the grape breeding pro- gram at UM, discussed growing strategies for Itasca. The couple has worked with a "mother vine" planted in 2004, but their attention for the conference session was on the kind of younger vines found in commercial vineyards. "It's gonna grow fast like a teenager in those first couple of years," John Thull said. "It's not as vigorous as Edelweiss but more than Fron- tenac Gris, so we want to put more fruit on it and slow its growth. Some vines begged for spur pruning. Saving two shoots is a good idea the first year. Growth can later be focused into one shoot if progress is too slow." Early training is essential, Jenny Thull noted. She is an advocate of vertical shoot po- sitioning (VSP) and said Itasca's upward shoot growth could pair well with VSP. But the Thulls reported that high cordon training meant "less work and more productive vines." According to John Thull, "Young, high-wire trained vines are easier to manage, and the canes generally give larger clusters. The shoot growth is a little chaotic, though. "He added that "secondary buds tend to push, so they can be removed," with Jenny quickly adding "very carefully." What Crimson Pearl likes Crimson Pearl also likes a high cordon, Plo- cher said, "because it droops." He noted, "It starts hardening off wood pretty early, with hardening done by harvest." Plocher said the red grape shows moderate vigor and good disease resistance in the Midwest with a nor- mal spray program (twice pre-bloom, twice post-bloom). The newest grape from the Hugo, Minn.,-based breeder has the same parents as his Petite Pearl but ripens five to seven days earlier. Typical harvest in the Twin Cities, he said, comes in at 22° to 23° Brix, 3.4 pH to 3.8 pH and 0.7% to 0.8% RS. He recommended a 48-hour cold soak for Crimson Pearl followed by 15 to 16 days fer- mentation on the skins. He described the wines as "fruity, little lighter style, with true crimson red color and moderate, soft tannins." The variety is more affected by yeast strain than its sibling, but "all styles have good balance be- tween acid, tannin and alcohol," Plocher said. Midwest Vintners Evaluate New Varieties Cold Climate Grape Conference features tastings and sessions on Itasca, Crimson Pearl By Bill Ward KEY POINTS Commercial Itasca vines have been in the ground for barely two years so wines from research plots were presented. Itasca may grow best on a VSP trellis but Crimson Pearl is droopy and well-suited for high cordon training. Speakers also covered yeast needs in cold climates, the importance of soil health and how to better market Midwest wines. The Itasca variety is new to commercial vineyards.