After a novel naming challenge drew more than 1,000 suggestions from around the world, a Cornell University breeder has revealed the secret identities of two new wine grapes: ‘Arandell’ and ‘Aromella’.
Bruce Reisch, professor of horticulture in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, introduced the grapes at Viticulture 2013 in Rochester, N.Y., Feb. 7.
‘Arandell’—a mash-up of “arandano,” the Spanish word for blueberry, and the “ell” from Cornell—is the first grape released from The New York State Agricultural Experiment Station’s “no-spray” vineyard.
Reisch hopes its hint of blueberry will attract wine lovers, while its superior resistance to downy and powdery mildews will appeal to growers interested in more sustainable practices. Its name was suggested by Michael Fleischhauer, retired computer analyst and wine enthusiast from Juneau, Alaska.
‘Aromella’, an aromatic, muscat white wine grape, was named by Michael Borboa, a Californian winemaker and songwriter who used a lyric exercise he uses for writing songs. ‘Aromella’ ranks high for winter hardiness and productivity. Reisch says its release is timely given the growing popularity of muscat wines.
The project emerged almost accidently when Anna Katharine Mansfield, assistant professor of enology, suggested emailing colleagues to introduce two varieties ripe for naming. As news of their appeal spread through the proverbial grapevine, it attracted coverage from outlets including NPR’s Morning Edition and Bon Appétit online.
More information:
- ‘Arandell’ and ‘Aromella’ are the 55th and 56th cultivars released by Cornell’s grape breeding program since 1885. For information on licensing Cornell grape varieties, contact Jessica Lyga at the Cornell Center for Technology Enterprise and Commercialization at JML73@cornell.edu or 607.255.0270.
- Earlier story: The name game: Contest seeks names for two new grapes [Cornell Chronicle 7/12/2013]
More coverage:
- YouTube: Bruce Reisch, Department of Horticulture and Anna Katharine Mansfield, Department of Food Science, describe the wine made from the two new grapes and why ‘Colbert’ and ‘Stewart’ didn’t pass the sniff test.
- tumblr: Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert Fail the Taste Test: A Run-up to the Reveal of Cornell’s New Grape Names