Sep 2, 2015

Growing wine grapes in the northern U.S.

In Michigan, weather changes on a dime. Last week it was cold and wet, while this week brought 80˚ F days and nothing but sunshine.

Many states in the northern part of the country experience the same extremes, but thanks to breeding efforts, wine grapes are successfully being grown.

Here’s more from Inside Science:

       A grape-breeding project that already has pumped more than $400 million into northern states’ economies and created as many as 13,000 jobs is trying to grow wine grapes where summers are short and winters brutal. Scientists who are breeding the grapes say the wine is improving every year.

       Next week, the Minnesota Grape Growers Association and the University of Minnesota in St. Paul will hold the 7th annual International Cold Climate Wine Competition and show off their best products.

       The researchers are part of the Northern Grape Project, founded in 2011 and funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Universities and labs in twelve states ranging from New York through New England and the upper Midwest are involved.

According to the report, scientists are using cross-pollination, cloning and grafting to create the new varieties.

Results from a Northern Grape Project wine tasting are detailed at the bottom of Inside Science’s page.