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Variety Review, 2024 Growing Season - Growth Characteristics, Disease Management, Vigor and Yield Results for Itasca, Petite Pearl, Crimson Pearl, Frontenacs, Brianna, L’Acadie Blanc, Somerset Seedless, Jupiter, Mars
The following are field notes from our farm's vineyards. Itasca has incredible disease resistance. With immunity to powdery and downy mildew, Itasca really is a low spray variety. Black rot and phomopsis control early sets Itasca up for the rest of the season without mildew problems, even in a wet and humid year like this in the east. We also left a pretty high bud count on Itasca this year to get the yields up, and it seems to be working well. We left 8-10 buds per foot on it this year and the vines seem to be holding it well, and it even calmed down the vigor to some degree to have a bigger crop of grapes on it.
Petite Pearl and Crimson Pearl are consistent and easy to count on every year. The late bud break and moderate vigor of both are welcome characteristics, meaning fewer passes to manage the canopy and fruit compared to other cultivars. I have come to see Petite Pearl as a backbone of our grape production, and each year that we work with Crimson Pearl it becomes equally satisfying to grow. I have not had a year without a crop on Petite Pearl. Considering the challenging climate here, that is pretty amazing.
Workhorses in the vineyard stand out for their often over-sized crops and reliability. At the top of that list are all the Frontenacs, and Brianna. My crop estimates on Brianna this year are over 7 tons per acre! It may take an extra week to ripen that crop compared to lower yielding years, but Brianna is a very early ripening variety so we are not concerned if we have to let it hang a bit longer. The resulting wine is extremely popular in all its’ forms, with a pronounced pineapple aromatic. The Frontenac family could support a vineyard and winery with regular yields of large grape clusters that bring the flavor. Whether you grow noir, blanc or gris, you can expect big aromatics.
L’Acadie Blanc. Wow. We were among the first in the US to grow this grape that is so popular in Nova Scotia and Quebec, and it has taught us a lot. While not as hardy as many other varieties that we offer, L’Acadie is hardy to around -20F and ripens early to mid season. Its strong upright growth is so easy to manage in VSP, and it does not produce lots of lateral growth that crowds the fruit. And it produces a lot of fruit!! Large open clusters fill the fruiting wire, and the wine is extremely versatile.
Table grapes anyone? Somerset Seedless is showing a pretty unbelievable crop this year too. The bright pink fruit will be ready early and has a strawberry flavor that is not found in regular grocery store grapes. Our best fruit will go to fresh fruit sales, and any extra can be used as a blender in the winery or even as a stand alone varietal for a unique wine experience. While Somerset Seedless is one of the more cold hardy seedless selections, Jupiter is a bit less winter hardy. Jupiter can withstand winter temps of -15F. The flavor is out of this world, with elements of muscat. Our customers just love it when it arrives in stores and markets here. For those whole like the flavor of Concord but prefer a seedless grape that is more cold hardy, try Mars. Reliable yields of medium to large bunches of deep blue grapes.
