News You Can Use
Created at the request of our Project Advisory Council, provided Northern Grapes Project users with brief, timely information, generated via research conducted as part of the Northern Grapes Project, as well as material derived from other sources. News You Can Use was published around the first of every month, and was sent via email and posted on this site and the Facebook page.
2016
- Canopy Management and Light Interception, July 2016
- Grape Disease, Insect, and Mite Control and Biology, June 2016
- Itasca Grape, April 2016
- 2016 Northern Grapes Symposium, March 2016
2015
- Trellis Systems, Pruning and Training, December 2015
- Yeast Selection, October 2015
- Yeast Assimilable Nitrogen, September 2015
- Herbicide Drift, June 2015
- Winery Profitability, April 2015
- Grapevine Nutrition, March 2015
- Winery Customer Satisfaction, January 2015
2014
- Keep a Cork in it: Stabilizing Sweet Wines for Bottling, December 2014
- Wine Deacidification, October 2014
- Winery Sanitation, September 2014
- Grape Berry Ripening, August 2014
- Vineyard Floor Management, July 2014
- Managing Winter Injured Vines, June 2014
- Grape Disease Management, May 2014
- Assessing Bud Injury and Adjusting Pruning, April 2014
Northern Grapes News
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
Progress Report Archive Links
Project Documents
- Project Summary
- Project Narrative
- Appendix A_Stakeholder Meeting Priorities
- Appendix B_Project Management Evaluation Plan
- Appendix C_Project Advisory Council
- Appendix D_Industry Partnerships
- Appendix E_Extension
- Appendix F_Institutional Roles
- Appendix G_NE1020 Coordinated Variety Trials
Project Team
Symposiums
1st Northern Grapes Symposium, 2012
The first Northern Grapes Symposium was held on February 23, 2012 in St. Paul, Minnesota, in conjunction with the Minnesota Grape Growers Association annual Cold Climate Conference. Click below to download a PDF version of each presentation.
- Introducing the Northern Grapes Project, Jim Luby, University of Minnesota
- Northern Grape Project Focus: Integrating Viticulture, Enology, Marketing, and Community for Sustainable Growth, Paul Lasley, Iowa State University
- Viticulture: Addressing Climate, Soils, Nutrition, Pest Management to Achieve Consistent Quality, Paul Domoto, Iowa State University
- Fruit Composition: Farming for Flavors, Anne Fennell, South Dakota State University
- Enology: Developing Winemaking Practices and Styles Suited to Northern Grapes, Anna Katharine Mansfield, Cornell University
- Marketing/Consumers: It Takes a Village, Bill Gartner, University of Minnesota
- A Cut Above: How the Northern Grapes Project will Foster Growth and Development of the Cold-Climate Wine Industry, Tim Martinson, Cornell University
2nd Northern Grapes Symposium, 2013
The second Northern Grapes Symposium was held on February 6, 2013 in Rochester, NY, in conjunction with the Viticulture 2013 Conference. Click below to download a PDF version of each presentation.
Viticulture Presentations
- Leaf Injury Associated with Copper and Sulfur in Northern Grape Varieties: Preliminary Assessment Patty McManus, University of Wisconsin
- How climate influenced grape maturity in 11 Northern Grape variety trials from South Dakota to Massachusetts Tim Martinson, Cornell University
- Grapevine Nutrition: Results of Tissue and Soil Analyses Carl Rosen, University of Minnesota
- Performance of Marquette, Frontenac, and La Crescent in Northern Grapes Project Viticulture Trials Paul Domoto, Iowa State University
Enology Presentations
- How Yeast Strain Selection can Influence Wine Characteristics and Flavors in Marquette, Frontenac, Frontenac gris, and La Crescent, Katie Cook, University of Minnesota
- What do Enological Tannins offer to Northern Grape Winemakers?, Murli Dharmadhikari, Iowa State University
- Managing Acidity: Biological and Chemical Methods, Anna Katharine Mansfield, Cornell University
Economics & Marketing Presentations
- Baseline Survey Results, Bill Gartner and Brigid Tuck, University of Minnesota
- Informing Wineries’ Tourism Decisions: Studies of Tasting Room Visitors and Wine Tourism Collaboration, Dan McCole, Don Holecek and Anna Popp, Michigan State University
- Customer Satisfaction Drivers and Performance of Tasting Rooms in Cold Climate Wine Regions, Miguel Gomez and Erin Kelley, Cornell University
5th Northern Grapes Symposium, 2016
The fifth Northern Grapes Symposium was held on February 24, 2016 in Kalamazoo, MI, in conjunction with the Michigan Grape and Wine Conference. Click below to download a PDF version of each presentation.
- Fifteen years of trials, tribulations, and successes in Iowa viticulture, Mike White, Iowa State University.
- Making quality wines from high acid grapes: Yeast selection and deacidification, Anna Katharine Mansfield and Claire Burtch, Cornell University
- Brianna and La Crescent: Viticulture, enology, and tasting, Jim Luby, University of Minnesota and Murli Dharmadhikari, Iowa State University
- Marquette and Frontenac: Viticulture, fruit ripening, enology, and tasting, Jim Luby, University of Minnesota; Murli Dharmadhikari, Iowa State University; and Anne Fennell, South Dakota State University
- Managing Frontenac and Marquette for profitability and quality: Training systems, recovering from winter and spring frost injury, Tim Martinson, Cornell University and Paolo Sabbatini, Michigan State University
- Marketing, branding, tasting room studies with cold hardy wines, Bill Gartner, University of Minnesota and Dan McCole, Michigan State University
Research Reports
Year 1 Baseline Survey, 2013
- Economic Contribution: Vineyards and Wineries of the North, 2014
- Economic Contribution of Vineyards and Wineries of the North, 2015
- 2013 Vineyards and Grapes of the North
- 2016 Vineyards and Grapes of the North
- Wineries of the North, 2013
- Wineries of the North, 2016
- Vineyards and Wineries in Illinois
- Vineyards and Wineries in Iowa
- Vineyards and Wineries in Michigan
- Vineyards and Wineries in Minnesota
- Vineyards and Wineries in the New England States
- Vineyards and Wineries in Nebraska
- Vineyards and Wineries in New York
- Vineyards and Wineries in North and South Dakota
- Vineyards and Wineries in Wisconsin
- The Tasting Room Experience and Winery Customer Satisfaction
Year 2 Research Reports, 2014
Objective 1: Document the cold climate varietal performance in variable climates and understand the resulting sensory characteristics of the fruit and wines.
- Combined analysis of NE-1020 variety trials in ND, SD, NE, IA, MI, NY, MA, VT, and CT.
- (MA state report)
- (VT state report)
- Sensory characterization of Frontenac and Marquette berries and wines by descriptive analysis
- Frontenac and Marquette Berry skin and pulp characterization during ripening
- Sensory profile analysis: Preliminary characterization of juice and wine aroma profiles using solid phase microextraction and simultaneous chemical and sensory analyses
- Volatile metabolite analysis: Characterizing emissions from the grape cluster microenvironment in the field (in vivo) and in the laboratory from destructive sampling of berry skin and pulp using solid phase microextraction and simultaneous chemical and sensory analyses
- Fruit ripening profiles of cold climate wine grape cultivars
Objective 2: Develop and extend research-based vineyard management practices that allow sustained production of high quality fruit from cold climate cultivars.
- Frontenac training trial
- Marquette training trial
- Vineyard training systems for improving the quality of Frontenac, La Crescent, and Marquette grapes
- Effects of spacing, training, and pruning on vine performance and fruit quality of St. Croix
- Nebraska training system studies
- Canopy management practices to improve light interception and quality of Frontenac, La Crescent, and Marquette grapes
- Influence of crop load on the quality of Frontenac, La Crescent, and Marquette grapes
- Wisconsin crop load studies
- Frontenac and La Crescent crop load trials
- Marquette crop load and training system trial for Michigan
- Grapevine nutrition
- Copper and sulfur sensitivity for northern grape cultivars
- Grape cultivar sensitivity to sulfur in North Dakota
Objective 3: Develop and optimize winemaking practices to sustainably produce and market distinctive, high quality wines from cold climate cultivars.
- Yeast trials for cold-hardy wines
- Optimizing deacidification methods for cold climate grape cultivars
- Enhancement of red wine structure and mouthfeel through the addition of enological tannins
Objective 4: Identify strategies to support sustainable development of businesses based on cold climate cultivars, from the individual winery to regional agri-tourism.
- Baseline monitoring for cold hardy grape and wine industries
- Brand research for cold hardy wines
- Policy analysis for the wine industry in the US and in the Northern Grapes Project states specifically
- The tasting room experience and winery customer satisfaction
- Wine consumer market surveys: 15 Michigan tasting room visitor survey and 6 state random household survey
- Winery collaboration: Survey of wineries and non-winery tourism businesses in 25 emerging wine regions.
Year 3 Research Reports, 2015
Objective 1: Document the cold climate varietal performance in variable climates and understand the resulting sensory characteristics of the fruit and wines.
- Combined analysis of NE-1020 variety trials in ND, SD, NE, IA, MI, NY, VT, and CT. (New York report)(Vermont report)
- Sensory profile analysis: Preliminary characterization of wine aroma profiles using solid phase microextraction and simultaneous chemical and sensory analyses
- Frontenac and Marquette Berry Skin and Pulp Characterization During Ripening
- Sensory Characterization of Frontenac and Marquette Berries and Wines by Descriptive Analysis
Objective 2: Develop and extend research-based vineyard management practices that allow sustained production of high quality fruit from cold climate cultivars.
- Effects of Spacing, Training, and Pruning on Vine Performance and Fruit Quality of St. Croix in Connecticut
- Marquette, Frontenac, St. Croix, and La Crescent Training Trial in Nebraska
- Vineyard Training Systems for Improving the Quality of ‘Frontenac’, ‘La Crescent’ and ‘Marquette’ Grapes
- Marquette Training Trial
- Frontenac Training Trial
- Marquette Crop Load and Training System Trial for Michigan
- Influence of Crop Load on the Quality of ‘Frontenac’, ‘La Crescent’ and ‘Marquette’ Grapes
- Grapevine Nutrition and Juice Quality
- Copper and Sulfur Sensitivity of Northern Grape Cultivars
Objective 3: Develop and optimize winemaking practices to sustainably produce and market distinctive, high quality wines from cold climate cultivars.
- Yeast Trials for Improved Wine Quality in Cold Climate Cultivars
- Optimizing Deacidification Methods for Cold Climate Cultivars
- Yeast Assimilable Nitrogen (YAN) Optimization for Fermentation of Cold Climate Cultivars
Objective 4: Identify strategies to support sustainable development of businesses based on cold climate cultivars, from the individual winery to regional agri-tourism.
- Baseline Monitoring for the Cold Hardy Grape and Wine Industries
- Policy Analysis for the Cold Hardy Grape and Wine Industries
- Brand Research for the Cold Hardy Grape and Wine Industries
- Who are the Consumers of Cold Climate Wines?
- Establishing cost of production estimates for Hybrid Grapes
Year 4 Research Reports, 2016
Objective 1: Document the cold climate varietal performance in variable climates and understand the resulting sensory characteristics of the fruit and wines.
- Combined analysis of NE-1020 variety trials in ND, SD, NE, IA, MI, NY, VT, and CT.
- Phenolic compound profiles of cold climate wine grape cultivars
- Frontenac gris and Brianna berry ripening
- Pre-fermentation skin contact temperatures and their impact on aroma compounds in white wines made from La Crescent grapes using aroma dilution analysis and simultaneous multidimensional gas chromatography – mass spectrometry – olfactometry
- Determination of aroma compounds in red wines made from early and late harvest Frontenac and Marquette grapes using aroma dilution analysis and simultaneous multidimensional gas chromatography – mass spectrometry – olfactometry
Objective 2: Develop and extend research-based vineyard management practices that allow sustained production of high quality fruit from cold climate cultivars.
- Effects of spacing, training, and pruning on vine performance and fruit quality of St. Croix
- Iowa training systems trial
- Marquette crop load and training system trial for Michigan
- Marquette, Frontenac, St. Croix, and La Crescent training trial in Nebraska
- New York Frontenac training trial
- New York Marquette training trial
- Recovery from frost injury in New York training systems trials in 2015
- Impact of shading on Frontenac and Marquette fruit composition
- Brianna, Frontenac, La Crescent, and Marquette training trials in Wisconsin
- Frontenac, La Crescent, and Marquette crop load trials in Wisconsin
- North Dakota research update
- Grapevine nutrition and juice quality
- Sensitivity of northern grape cultivars to fungicides and cultivar susceptibility to diseases
Objective 3: Develop and optimize winemaking practices to sustainably produce and market distinctive, high quality wines from cold climate cultivars.
- Yeast selection for cold-hardy wine grapes
- Using malic acid-reducing yeasts for cold climate wine grapes
- Optimizing deacidification methods for cold climate cultivars
- Skin contact trial in La Crescent
- Characterizing anthocyanins in red cold hardy hybrids
Objective 4: Identify strategies to support sustainable development of businesses based on cold climate cultivars, from the individual winery to regional agri-tourism.
- Upper Midwest winery tasting room visitor study
- Impact of different types of information on consumer value of cold hardy wine
- Cold hardy wine branding
- Cost of establishment and operation cold hardy grapes in the Thousand Islands region
Webinars
Webinars were generally presented live the 2nd Tuesday of each month (subject to change) from January – May, at 1 PM Eastern (12 PAM Central). Webinars were recorded and archived on the “Recorded Webinars” section of the original website. Each webinar lasted approximately one hour, but frequently lasted a bit longer to accommodate questions and answers. Registration for each webinar was opened about 2-3 weeks prior to the webinar. A link to the registration page was found on the “Webinar Schedule” section of the website.
2020
- Feb 18th, 2020 Update on Trunk Injury and Disease Surveys in Minnesota and New York, by Annie Klodd and Tim Martinson
- March 17, 2020 Growing Grapes without Glyphosate, by Lynn Sosnowski
2019
- Jan 17th, 2019 Impact of fruit zone sunlight exposure on fruit composition of cold climate hybrid grapes, by Amaya Atucha
- Feb 7th, 2019 Sour Rot: Understanding and Managing a Complex Disease, by Megan Hall
2018
- February 13th, 2018 Starting a Winery in Northern New York: Considerations and Costs, by Lindsey Pashow Link to spreadsheet download and PDF
- March 13th, 2018 Evaluating Cultural Practices for Recovery from Cold Damage in Grapevines, by Thomas Todaro Link to Slides Download (PDF)
- April 10th, 2018 Implementing NEWA Weather and Pest Model Information into a Vineyard IPM Strategy, by Tim Weigle and Dan Olmstead The NEWA helpdesk: support@newa.zendesk.com
- May 8th, 2018 SO2 and You: Understanding the When, Why, and How of SO2 Management in Your Winery, by Demi Perry Link to Slides Download (PDF)
- Dec 11th, 2018 Grapevine trunk diseases: The fungi that cause them, how they develop and spread, and how they are managed, by Jose Ramon Urbez-Torres Written answers to extra questions
2017
- January 10, 2017 Integrated Disease Management Based on Cultivar Susceptibility and Fungicide Sensitivity, by Patty McManus and David Jones PDF of McManus slides PDF of Jones slides
- February 14, 2017 Tales from the NE1020 Coordinated Variety Trials, by Tim Martinson and NGP team leaders PDF of Martinson slides Summary yield data (PDF)
- March 22, 2017 Impact of Training Systems on Viticulture Performance of Cold-Hardy Wine Grapes, by Amaya Atucha, Madeline Wimmer, and Paolo Sabbatini PDF of Atucha and Wimmer slides PDF of Sabbatini slides
- April 11, 2017 Put a cork in it? An update on wine closures, by Anna Katharine Mansfield PDF of Mansfield slides
- May 9, 2017 Introducing Itasca – Minnesota’s New Cold-Hardy White Wine Grape, by Matthew Clark, John Thull, and Jennifer Thull PDF of Clark and Thull Slides Link to Itasca paper
2016
- January 12, 2016 Terroir and Typicity in Cold Hardy Wines, by Anna Katharine Mansfield PDF of slides
- February 12, 2016 Branding and Best Management Practices for Cold Hardy Wines and Wineries, by Dan McCole and Bill Gartner PDF of slides
- March 8, 2016 Developing Cold-Hardy Grapes: The Trials and Tribulations of Breeding Grapes for the Northern Continental U.S., by Matt Clark and Harlene Hatterman-Valenti PDF of slides
- April 12, 2016 Northern Grapes Project Research Results: Fungicide Sensitivity and Vine Nutrition of Cold-Hardy Cultivars, by Patty McManus and Carl Rosen PDF of slides
- May 17, 2016 From Vine to Glass: Understanding the Flavors and Aromas of Cold-Hardy Grapes and Wine, with Anne Fennell, Somchai Rice, and Adrian Hegeman. PDF of slides
- December 13, 2016 Northern Grapes Survey Results: How the industry changed from 2011 to 2015, by Brigid Tuck and Tim Martinson PDF of Tuck slides PDF of Martinson slides
2015
- January 13, 2015 Emerging Cold Hardy Wine Grape Cultivars, by Mark Hart and Tom Plocher PDF of slides
- February 10, 2015 Comparing and Contrasting Vertical Shoot Positioning and Top Wire Cordon Training Systems, by Tim Martinson, John Thull, and Bob Utter PDF of slides
- March 10, 2015 Building the Perfect Body: Tannin Strategies for Red Hybrid Wines, by Anna Katharine Mansfield PDF of slides
- April 21, 2015 Branding Studies for Cold Climate Wines, by Bill Gartner and Dan McCole PDF of slides
- December 8, 2015 The Big Chill: Cold Acclimation and Recovery from Spring Frost in Grapes in New York, by Jason Londo and Tim Martinson PDF of Londo slides PDF of Martinson slides
2014
- January 14, 2014 Planning for future growth and investment in your winery, by Gregg McConnell, Farm Credit East PDF of slides Best Practices for winery collaboration, by Dan McCole, Michigan State University PDF of slides
- February 11, 2014 Are you feeding your yeast? The importance of YAN in healthy fermentation, by Anna Katharine Mansfield PDF of slides Information about spectrophotometers
- March 20, 2014 Winery Policies across the U.S. and in the Northern States Region, by Bill Gartner PDF of slides
- April 8, 2014 Impact of crop load & training systems on viticultural & enological performances of Marquette and Frontenac grown in Michigan & New York, by Tim Martinson, Cornell Univ. & Paolo Sabbatini, Michigan State Univ. PDF of slides
- November 20, 2014 Trellis Design and Construction and Pruning Fundamentals Prior to Your First Cut, by Steve Lerch, Cornell University and Mike White, Iowa State University PDF of slides
- December 16, 2014 Stuck on You – Sulfur Spray Residues in the Vineyard and Winery, by Gavin Sacks and Jillian Jastrzembski PDF of slides
2013
- January 8, 2013 Malolactic Fermentation, by Sigrid Gertsen-Schibbye PDF of slides
- February 12, 2013 Vineyard Floor Management, by Justine Vanden Heuvel and Harlene Hatterman-Valenti PDF of slides
- March 12, 2013 Vine Nutrition, by Carl Rosen and Paul Domoto PDF of slides
- April 9, 2013 Towards Startup Winery Profitability: When do I Start Making Money? and Customer Satisfaction Drives Tasting Room Sales, by Gregg McConnell and Miguel Gomez PDF of slides The Tasting Room Experience and Winery Customer Satisfaction (publication), by Miguel Gomez and Erin Kelly, Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, Cornell University
- November 12, 2013 The ABCs of the FSMA: The Food Safety Modernization Act and Wineries, by Stephanie Groves PDF of slides
- December 10, 2013 How grape ripening follows growing degree days and Managing vineyards for high quality, by Luke Haggerty and John Thull PDF of Haggerty’s slides PDF of Thull’s slides
2012
- January 10, 2012 Managing Acidity in the Winery, by Anna Katharine Mansfield and Murli Dharmadhikari Chat transcript from 7pm session Q & A from post-webinar survey
- February 14, 2012 Nuts and Bolts of Canopy Management, by Mike White and Tim Martinson Chat transcript from noon session Q & A from post-webinar survey
- March 13, 2012 Setting the Stage for Future Growth: Winery Collaboration and Economic Impacts, by Dan McCole and Bill Gartner Chat transcript from 7pm session
- April 10, 2012 Grape Disease Management Basics (and All about Anthracnose), by Wayne Wilcox and Patty McManus Chat transcript from 7pm session Q&A from post-webinar survey
- May 8, 2012 Keep a Cork in it: Stabilizing Sweet Wines for Bottling, by Chris Gerling Chat transcript from noon session Q&A from post-webinar survey
- June 12, 2012 Introduction to Winery Sanitation: Options and Applications, by Randy Worobo
- On November 3, 2012, a herbicide drift seminar and webinar was held at Southeast Community College in Lincoln, NE. This event was a cooperative effort of Nebraska Winery and Grape Growers Association, University of Nebraska Viticulture, and the Northern Grapes Project. Unfortunately, the webinar recording of the sessions is not available as we had hoped. Below are links to PDF versions of the presentations.
- What is Drift? and Find a Drift Consultant, Perspectives on Herbicide Drift, Spray and Drift Online Resources, Mike White, Iowa State University
- The View from New York: Diagnosis, Economics, and Management of Grape Injury from 2,4-D and Other Growth Regulator Herbicides, by Tim Martinson, Cornell University
- November 27, 2012 Year 1 Progress Report and Baseline Survey Results, by Tim Martinson and Bill Gartner
- December 18, 2012 Yeast Selection for Wines made from Cold-Hardy Grapes PDF of slides