New cold hardy grape varieties set for Northern NY

Growers show off their cold hardy grapes.

• From NNY ADP

WILLSBORO -- The cold-hardy grape variety research nursery in Northern New York at is getting a makeover.

With new funding from the farmer-driven Northern New York Agricultural Development Program that helped establish the nursery at the Cornell Willsboro Research Farm [here in Essex County in 2005], old vines have been removed, the soil is being refreshed, and new varieties of grapes have been carefully selected for planting in 2017. ...

A list of 21 potential varieties for the new planting at the Willsboro farm was identified through a survey of Northern New York grape growers, the leaders of the highly respected Cornell-Geneva Station and University of Minnesota grape breeding programs, and private grape breeders. Cornell University Horticulture professor Tim Martinson and Anna Wallis of the Eastern New York Commercial Horticultural Program will determine the final planting based on the availability of plant material in the spring of 2017.

In 2015, the old vines at the Willsboro farm were removed with the exception of the Marquette, Frontenac, Frontenac gris, and La Crescent varieties that have proven to be suited to the NNY climate and soils. Those plantings will continue to produce grapes for wine production research by Cornell University.

Go here for more details.

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