Acknowledgements
My work would not be possible without all the prior research and analyses performed by known and unknown grape growers throughout thousands of years of mankind's history. The earliest recorded wine making was 8,000 years ago in Georgia, located on the Black Sea between Russia and Turkey.
Cold-hardy grapes are grown world-wide, with cultivars bred for local conditions. This website focuses on disease-resistant, cold-hardy grapes grown in the USA, hardiness zone 5 and colder. Some were developed in the USA; while others, refined and grown in foreign countries, are likewise available in the USA.
Universities have also contributed to the development of grapes. In the USA, new varieties of cold-hardy grapes have been bred by the University of Minnesota and Cornell University.
Private breeders have also made significant contributions. Elmer Swenson, often called the grandfather of cold-hardy grapes in the USA, created thousands of new, cold-hardy grape cultivars. Bruce Smith describes the history of the early development period in this PDF.
Useful resources for grape growers are listed on my External Links page, and I want to thank all of the pioneers for the efforts they put forth in providing this valuable information.
In addition, I want to thank the nurseries listed here who provided the bulk of the vines for my trials. Their dedication and hard work, in supplying the grape vines that were used, made my research possible, and I am grateful for their helpful participation in my project.
Also, I want to personally thank several other people whose help was crucial to my research.
Alexandru Bortnov is a grape breeder in Minnesota who concentrates on developing cold-hardy cultivars. He donated plants and cuttings of his best vines for my trials, namely: Clondike, Francis, Gertruda, Icydora, Jubilee of Swenson, Minnesota Emerald, Mystic Eyes, Polar Isaura, Prestige, Sandy Moon, St. Anna, and St. Paul. All vines are doing well, and the grapes they produce have wonderful and tasty flavor profiles. I am extremely grateful to Alexandru for providing these vines for my trials. I want to thank him for his generosity in sharing his grapes and for his participation in this project.
Mark Hart of Wisconsin, and Ross Hull of Texas are grape growers and breeders who supplied me with Swenson and Munson cuttings, respectively, that I couldn't source anywhere else. Without their thoughtful generosity, I would not have been able to preform trials on these important cultivars. Mark donated the ES 5-4-16 (Jukka), ES 8-2-43, ES 10-18-14/15, ES 10-18-20, ES 10-18-30, Reform, and Solaris. Ross contributed one of his choice cultivars, known as Wapanuka. The vines are still too young to determine how they will fare, but to date, I am please to report that some have produced very flavorful grapes.
Tom Plocher is a Minnesota grape breeder of disease-resistant, cold-hardy grapes as well. News of his noteworthy vines is spreading fast. His Crimson Pearl (early), Petite Pearl (mid-season), and Verona (late) are disease-resistant grapes used for making excellent red wines. In my trials, Petite Pearl has yielded picture perfect grapes. I am also thankful for Tom's thoughtfulness in providing me with cuttings of his Skandia (TP 2-1-37) which I could not source elsewhere.
Susan Rombough has carried on the work of her late-husband, Lon Rombough, by preserving and providing cuttings for some of the 200 varieties Lon worked on during his lifetime. Lon’s Book, The Grape Grower – a Guide to Organic Viticulture, is a key work in this field, chock full of valuable information. Susan provided cutting of many cultivars for use in my study, and I am very grateful she has continued Lon's legacy, by making these cultivars available to all.
Ronald L. Winters, along with his colleagues at Fairhaven Vineyards in Hawkins, TX, are known for their tireless dedication to the Heritage genetic lines of post-Civil War American Hybrid grapes. Mr. Winters has stated, “Nearly eight years of field testing and selection, has led us to the inner secrets of this incredible line of vines! While working with the 279 varieties of American hybrids, Fairhaven has identified, grown, and field tested, relentlessly, to sort out the most desirable varieties from this group of superb vines.” I am beholden to Ronald for providing me with some of his choice cultivars, namely: Brilliant, Delicatessen, Lomanto, Mrs. Munson, Muench, and Wine King. Wine King has been a winner on our site - healthy, productive and delicious. The others need a year or two more for evaluation.
Paul Scungio, a personal friend, shared the hydroponic methods of propagation that he uses in his own vegetable garden, suggesting that I try the same method to propagate the grape cuttings I received. Following his advice, the outcome worked out very well. I want to thank him for his effort to improve my chances of success with rooting the grape cuttings. For a clearer picture of these results, click Cuttings to take you to that web page. Paul and I talk frequently about all aspects of gardening. He is a great friend, with excellent ideas, who is also an avid bee keeper. He maintains half-a-dozen hives of honeybees, which help pollinate local crops within a radius of several miles, and most importantly, this effort supplies delicious honey in the process.
Esa Tervo, a member of the Grape Growers’ Association of Finland, with an interest in North American hybrids, has been sharing his perspectives on grapes in Europe with me. Some of the cultivars grown are available in both of our countries, while others are not yet obtainable due to import restrictions and lengthy quarantine periods. Esa resides in the warmer region of Finland, where he enjoys “continental weather” similar to Hardiness zone 5 here in the USA. I am extremely grateful for his European perspective and enthusiasm for grape growing. Among the cultivars we share are: Baltica, Bluebell, Cascade, Castel 19-637, DM 8521-1, ES 10-18-14, Frontenac, Geneva Red, King of the North, L’Acadie Blanc, Lorelei, Marechal Foch, Marquette, New York Muscat, Oberlin Noir, Prairie Star, Skandia, Somerset Seedless, Spartan Seedless, and Zilga.
I also want to thank the 2,000+ volunteers who make the Common Ground Fair possible. This 3-day, 100% organic annual fair in Unity, Maine provides hundreds of free workshops to teach organic gardening skills. Besides the fact that all food vendors provide 100% organic products, another of the highlights is a 100% organic farmers market. In addition, nestled throughout the grounds are volunteers, who demonstrate assorted homemaking and homesteading skills, with behind the scenes festive music that enhances the event. We have learned so much at these fairs, and have applied what we learned to our own garden, orchard, and vineyard. Each year 60,000 enthusiastic people visit this fair. Admission is only $15 with children under 12 free.
Last, but most certainly not least, my wonderful wife Judy shares the joys of gardening with me. Judy focuses her attention on our vegetables, while my emphasis is on grapes and fruits. I could not accomplish all I do without her heroic efforts of growing seedlings, planting, bug picking, watering, harvesting, and processing. To top it off, as our family and friends can testify, Judy is a gourmet cook, who turns our garden produce into feasts fit for a royal court.
Growing grapes is a rewarding experience. My heartfelt gratitude goes out to the many among us, whose efforts have made grape-growing a possibility that all of us can enjoy and benefit from, and I thank all those whose immeasurable endeavors have made this possible.
Cold-hardy grapes are grown world-wide, with cultivars bred for local conditions. This website focuses on disease-resistant, cold-hardy grapes grown in the USA, hardiness zone 5 and colder. Some were developed in the USA; while others, refined and grown in foreign countries, are likewise available in the USA.
Universities have also contributed to the development of grapes. In the USA, new varieties of cold-hardy grapes have been bred by the University of Minnesota and Cornell University.
Private breeders have also made significant contributions. Elmer Swenson, often called the grandfather of cold-hardy grapes in the USA, created thousands of new, cold-hardy grape cultivars. Bruce Smith describes the history of the early development period in this PDF.
Useful resources for grape growers are listed on my External Links page, and I want to thank all of the pioneers for the efforts they put forth in providing this valuable information.
In addition, I want to thank the nurseries listed here who provided the bulk of the vines for my trials. Their dedication and hard work, in supplying the grape vines that were used, made my research possible, and I am grateful for their helpful participation in my project.
Also, I want to personally thank several other people whose help was crucial to my research.
Alexandru Bortnov is a grape breeder in Minnesota who concentrates on developing cold-hardy cultivars. He donated plants and cuttings of his best vines for my trials, namely: Clondike, Francis, Gertruda, Icydora, Jubilee of Swenson, Minnesota Emerald, Mystic Eyes, Polar Isaura, Prestige, Sandy Moon, St. Anna, and St. Paul. All vines are doing well, and the grapes they produce have wonderful and tasty flavor profiles. I am extremely grateful to Alexandru for providing these vines for my trials. I want to thank him for his generosity in sharing his grapes and for his participation in this project.
Mark Hart of Wisconsin, and Ross Hull of Texas are grape growers and breeders who supplied me with Swenson and Munson cuttings, respectively, that I couldn't source anywhere else. Without their thoughtful generosity, I would not have been able to preform trials on these important cultivars. Mark donated the ES 5-4-16 (Jukka), ES 8-2-43, ES 10-18-14/15, ES 10-18-20, ES 10-18-30, Reform, and Solaris. Ross contributed one of his choice cultivars, known as Wapanuka. The vines are still too young to determine how they will fare, but to date, I am please to report that some have produced very flavorful grapes.
Tom Plocher is a Minnesota grape breeder of disease-resistant, cold-hardy grapes as well. News of his noteworthy vines is spreading fast. His Crimson Pearl (early), Petite Pearl (mid-season), and Verona (late) are disease-resistant grapes used for making excellent red wines. In my trials, Petite Pearl has yielded picture perfect grapes. I am also thankful for Tom's thoughtfulness in providing me with cuttings of his Skandia (TP 2-1-37) which I could not source elsewhere.
Susan Rombough has carried on the work of her late-husband, Lon Rombough, by preserving and providing cuttings for some of the 200 varieties Lon worked on during his lifetime. Lon’s Book, The Grape Grower – a Guide to Organic Viticulture, is a key work in this field, chock full of valuable information. Susan provided cutting of many cultivars for use in my study, and I am very grateful she has continued Lon's legacy, by making these cultivars available to all.
Ronald L. Winters, along with his colleagues at Fairhaven Vineyards in Hawkins, TX, are known for their tireless dedication to the Heritage genetic lines of post-Civil War American Hybrid grapes. Mr. Winters has stated, “Nearly eight years of field testing and selection, has led us to the inner secrets of this incredible line of vines! While working with the 279 varieties of American hybrids, Fairhaven has identified, grown, and field tested, relentlessly, to sort out the most desirable varieties from this group of superb vines.” I am beholden to Ronald for providing me with some of his choice cultivars, namely: Brilliant, Delicatessen, Lomanto, Mrs. Munson, Muench, and Wine King. Wine King has been a winner on our site - healthy, productive and delicious. The others need a year or two more for evaluation.
Paul Scungio, a personal friend, shared the hydroponic methods of propagation that he uses in his own vegetable garden, suggesting that I try the same method to propagate the grape cuttings I received. Following his advice, the outcome worked out very well. I want to thank him for his effort to improve my chances of success with rooting the grape cuttings. For a clearer picture of these results, click Cuttings to take you to that web page. Paul and I talk frequently about all aspects of gardening. He is a great friend, with excellent ideas, who is also an avid bee keeper. He maintains half-a-dozen hives of honeybees, which help pollinate local crops within a radius of several miles, and most importantly, this effort supplies delicious honey in the process.
Esa Tervo, a member of the Grape Growers’ Association of Finland, with an interest in North American hybrids, has been sharing his perspectives on grapes in Europe with me. Some of the cultivars grown are available in both of our countries, while others are not yet obtainable due to import restrictions and lengthy quarantine periods. Esa resides in the warmer region of Finland, where he enjoys “continental weather” similar to Hardiness zone 5 here in the USA. I am extremely grateful for his European perspective and enthusiasm for grape growing. Among the cultivars we share are: Baltica, Bluebell, Cascade, Castel 19-637, DM 8521-1, ES 10-18-14, Frontenac, Geneva Red, King of the North, L’Acadie Blanc, Lorelei, Marechal Foch, Marquette, New York Muscat, Oberlin Noir, Prairie Star, Skandia, Somerset Seedless, Spartan Seedless, and Zilga.
I also want to thank the 2,000+ volunteers who make the Common Ground Fair possible. This 3-day, 100% organic annual fair in Unity, Maine provides hundreds of free workshops to teach organic gardening skills. Besides the fact that all food vendors provide 100% organic products, another of the highlights is a 100% organic farmers market. In addition, nestled throughout the grounds are volunteers, who demonstrate assorted homemaking and homesteading skills, with behind the scenes festive music that enhances the event. We have learned so much at these fairs, and have applied what we learned to our own garden, orchard, and vineyard. Each year 60,000 enthusiastic people visit this fair. Admission is only $15 with children under 12 free.
Last, but most certainly not least, my wonderful wife Judy shares the joys of gardening with me. Judy focuses her attention on our vegetables, while my emphasis is on grapes and fruits. I could not accomplish all I do without her heroic efforts of growing seedlings, planting, bug picking, watering, harvesting, and processing. To top it off, as our family and friends can testify, Judy is a gourmet cook, who turns our garden produce into feasts fit for a royal court.
Growing grapes is a rewarding experience. My heartfelt gratitude goes out to the many among us, whose efforts have made grape-growing a possibility that all of us can enjoy and benefit from, and I thank all those whose immeasurable endeavors have made this possible.