A Technical Guide for Wine Producers

RECENT ARTICLES   |   WYNBOER HOME COOL CLIMATE VITICULTURE P van Rensburg, Institute for Wine Biotechnology and Department Viticulture & Oenology, University of Stellenbosch For two and a half weeks I had the privilege to visit regions in Canada and New York State. I would like to share this experience first by focussing on the cool climate regions of Canada and thereafter in part 2 on the New York State regions. The experience enriched me with interesting facts and new perspectives. PART 2: NEW YORK STATE In this second part on cool climate viticulture I will focus more on New York State in America. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND New York state grape and wine production dates back to the 1600's when vineyards were established in Manhattan. Isabella and Catawha, both Vitis labruscana types, quickly became the mainstays of the early plantings, since they produced fruit that was considerably less foxy than the native vines growing in the state. Early attempts at cultivating Vitis vinifera varieties had failed due to fungus disease problems and the devastating effects of the winter minimum temperatures. Although it came late to the Finger Lakes, commercial wine production quickly flourished. The Finger Lakes became the primary wine producing region in the state, as it is today. Prohibition, which began in 1919, nearly wiped out the grape industry. The surviving wineries did so by making sacramental wines and grape juice. After the Prohibition ended in the 1930's, New York wineries were slow to recover as New York's laws made it difficult for new wineries to become established. Port and sherry-type wines, sparkling wines and sweet table wines became the mainstays of the New York wine industry, in part because the Vitis labrusca-type grapes that were grown were best suited to these wines. The 1960's brought about the beginning of the more modern wine production era, when inter specific hybrids and limited scale Vitis vinifera wine production began. In the mid 1970's, state laws changed, making it easier for farm wineries to establish and the new movement towards smaller production, higher quality, and drier wines began. The first commercial vineyards were also established on Long Island in the 1970's. Today about 130 wineries exist within New York State. Most are small, with production less than 50 000 cases of wine annually. THE REGIONS AND CLIMATE New York can be divided into 4 grape production regions: Lake Erie, Finger Lakes, Hudson River Valley and Long Island. Each of these regions have one common factor, their climate is modified by a body of water that protects the vines from spring and fall frosts, and from severe winter low temperatures. The New York wine regions are located between 43 and 41° - comparable to the wine regions of northern California and further south than Champagne, the Rheingau, Bordeaux and Burgundy. These regions are ideally suited for the growing of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Riesling and rare icewines. There are about 990 family-owned vineyards in New York state covering about 13000 hectares. The annual harvest is about 175 000 tons of which 655 are used for grape juice, 33% for wine and about 2% for fresh fruit. New York state contains about 125 wineries of which 106 were established after 1976. Lake Erie The Lake Erie viticultural area is also known as Chautauqua, the largest grape growing county outside of California. Although it has been the largest area planted with vines, about 700 hectares, more than 90% of the grape production is from Concord and Niagra, most of which is used for unfermented grape juice. A few wineries do exist in this region, although most are quite small. Wines are made from Vitis labruscana, Vitis vinifera, and inter specific hybrid varieties. Lake Erie has a growing season of about 200 days. Moderating influences are Lake Erie and the Allegheny Plateau, which traps moderating effects. Finger Lakes This is the largest wine grape-producing region with grape plantings of about 4000 hectares. The vineyards and wineries are clustered along the slopes of the larger lakes in the region, primarily Keuka, Seneca and Cayuga lakes. The growing season is about 190 - 205 days long. The moderating influences are the lakes with the sloping hillsides, which increase "air drainage". Vitis labruscana varieties still account for slightly more than half of the total hectares today, some of which is used for grape juice although a significant amount is used to produce sweeter table wines. Of the remaining hectares inter specific hybrids account for roughly one third of the area planted, with essentially all of this being used for medium priced blended and varietal table wines. Vitis vinifera varieties still account for only about 10% of the total plantings, but this continues to increase. Riesling is rapidly establishing itself as the region's premier white wine, while Chardonnay accounts for most of the other white production. Reds account for much smaller amount of the plantings, with Cabernet Franc and Pinot Noir appearing to take the lead at this time. In the Finger Lake region you will find the Canandiagua Wine Company which is a leading producer and marketer of more than 125 national and regional beverage alcohol brands. This company is the second largest US producer of wines, with brands that are leaders in all three categories including table wine, sparkling wines and dessert wines. The 15 leading producers of the region are Dr Frank's Vinifera Wine Cellars/Chateau Frank, Hunt Country, McGregor (Keuka Lake); Anthony Road, Fox Run, Glenora, Herman J. Wiemer, Lakewood, Lamoreaux Landing, Prejean, Standing Stone and Wagner (Seneca Lake); King Ferry, Knapp and Swedish Hill (on Cayuga Lake). Most wineries are primarily boutiques, with low levels of production, typically up to 10000 cases. Unsurprisingly, Chardonnay, in its several styles, has become the central vinifera focus. Riesling is close behind, followed distantly by Gewürztraminer and then, among the courtier grapes, popular quasi-vinifera expressions of Cayuga White and French-American hybrids: Vidal Blanc, Seyval Blanc and Vignoles. Splendid and promising reds are increasingly turning up: Lamoreaux Landing's 1993 Merlot and 1994 Cabernet Franc; Standing Stone's 1994 Cabernet Franc, voted New York's number one wine in a 1995 state wide competition; Dr Frank's 1995 Merlot and 1993 Pinot Nior. Unfortunately, red grape production is not always consistent, therefore Glenora wine cellars will buy some red grapes in California and drive it by truck for 4 days to the cellar to produce wine. Although only a handful of serious wineries have committed themselves to sparkling wine programmes, today s best results, have sharpened an awareness that the region can make light, lean bubbly - like Champagne - not the rich, fruity California sort. Most winery's do not have a salesman on the road or spend money on marketing because they can sell more wine in one day in the tasting room than they can in a month in New York City. Hudson River Valley The oldest commercial district in New York, it is also the smallest in terms of planted area with about 300 hectares. The climate is modified by airflow that migrates up the Hudson River Valley from the Atlantic Ocean. The growing season consists of about 180-195 days. Plantings include a wide spectrum of varieties from Vitis labruscana types, to interspecific hybrids to Vitis vinifera. Long Island The most temperate of New York's wine growing regions, Long Island's climate is modified by the Atlantic Ocean. The growing season consists of about 215-233 days. The vineyards, totalling about 550 hectares are low in elevation with only slight slopes. Production is almost entirely from Vitis vinifera with the leading varieties being Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Merlot and Riesling. Production continues to increase, although it is limited somewhat by high land cost and urbanisation. We tasted some excellent wines from the Paumanok wine estate, where they use the traditional dense planting of the vineyards to produce more concentrated fruit and therefore higher quality wines. For their wines, only estate grown grapes are used and production is limited to fewer than 5000 cases. EONOLOGY As in the most parts of the world, winemaking practices differ within the state, reflecting differences in fruit chemistry, as well as regional and winery style. Winemakers are allowed to add water (sometimes up to 40%), sugar and acid to the juice and wine. The introduction of other varieties and improved production practices that resulted in better grape chemistry as well as improved cellar practices has allowed New York wineries to produce dry table wines that frequently rival the best from most other parts of the world. They also produce some icewines by natural freezing on the vine, while others are produced by cryoextraction.

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