Hid-In-Pines Vineyard
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Research Work Conducted at the Vineyard
Here at Hid-In-Pines Vineyard it is our belief that more research into growing the best cold hardy wine grapes is needed. To that end we have conducted the following projects:
NE SARE 2009 Research Project FNE09-662
Better Wine Grape Quality using Combined Vine Training And Canopy Management
NE SARE 2010 Research Project FNE10-691
Better Wine Grape Quality using Combined Vine Training And Canopy Management - Phase 2
Videos For NE SARE FNE10-691
Frontenac
Frontenac Row One Vertical Shoot Positioned and 4 Arm Kniffen
Frontenac Row Two Vertical Shoot Positioned
Frontenac Row Two 4 Arm Kniffen
Frontenac Row Three Vertical Shoot Positionedand Control Panel
Frontenac Row Three 4 Arm Kniffen
Leon Millot
Leon Millot Vertical Shoot Positioned
LaCrosse
LaCrosse Top Wire Cordon and 4 Arm Kniffen
Improving Wine Grape Quality through Matching Training System to Vigor Type -
Data Collection Phase - 2012 to ???? -
I have once again applied for a NESARE Grant to help support Data Collection in the test vineyard comparing 4 Training Systems and Four Varieties of Cold Climate Grapes. I believe there is great potential here to improve both yield and the quality of the harvested grapes by matching the correct training system to the growth patterns of vine vigor types. We have many new varieties that do superbly here in the colder climate conditions, but no real studies have been conducted to tell us the best training systems for them.
2011 was a strange year in the vineyard. April and May saw record rainfalls, June and July saw record dryness and again August and September again broke records. August saw the first Tropical Storm- Irene- to hit our area in decades. Irene gave us torrential rains and heavy winds which flooded the vineyard and pushed the trellises and even pulled out the earth anchors at the ends of the rows. September brought Tropical Storm Lee on the heels of Irene and continued the heavy rains. This was all very unwelcome and caused not only trellis damage, but also split a good deal of the ripening 2011 crop of wine grapes. This splitting led to various rots and as a result we lost about 40% of the overall crop and a complete loss of a couple varieties. Because of these conditions, I did no real data collection as the results would have been too skewed to be meaningful. Look for hopefully improved conditions in 2012 and some good data collection. While no data was collected, I can report that the modified Geneva Double Curtain yielded substantially more fruit of equal quality.
If you wish to help support this effort, feel free to stop by and I will explain in more detail what I am doing.
2011 Finger Lakes Grape Grower's Conference
I was asked to speak at the Conference this year and report on growing Cold Climate Grapes in Northern NY. Here is a Powerpoint presentation I gave. This is a large file so only download if you have a very fast connection.