Welcome to the Grape Breeding and Enology project website
Located at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, we conduct research in the Department of Horticultural Science and at the Horticultural Research Center. Our focus is on grapevine cultivar development which includes: wine grapes, table grape varieties, and ornamentals that survive and thrive in cold-climate conditions. We also work on understanding the mechanisms of disease and pest resistance so that we can incorporate these traits as a way to improve sustainability for Minnesota growers. In addition to breeding grapes, we develop and teach enology best practices for cold-hardy grapes.
Ask for Clarion!
By Kate Fessler, Drew Horton, John Thull, and Matt Clark
We have developed a short guide for our most recent UMN release, 'Clarion'! This high quality white wine cultivar is hardy to USDA Zone 5. Click on the preview below to open the PDF, or at the following link: Link to Clarion fact sheet.
News
Vineyard Cover Crops Series Links
The first two of 4 blog posts about vineyard cover crops can be found at
ISU/UMN Joint Research and Winemaking Webinar Series
Cellar Sanitation
Prior to the beginning of the grape harvest season, it is necessary to clean and sanitize the winery cellar to maintain wine quality, production consistency, and the long-term winery reputation. Cory Marx (UC Davis) and Luke Holcombe (Scott Laboratories) will present this topic during the first 1-hour webinar on August 4, 2020 at 3PM Central
- August 4th 2020: Winery Cleaning and Sanitizing
- 20-minute presentation of the practical aspects of cleaning and sanitizing in a winery by Luke Holcombe from Scott laboratories.
- 20-minute presentation of a recent work carried out at UC Davis by Cory Marx under the supervision of Dr. Anita Oberholster. This presentation will focus on a method for optimizing the use of chemical agents for cleaning and sanitation.
- 15-minute Questions and Answers moderated by Dr. Aude Watrelot and Drew Horton.
To register:
https://iastate.webex.com/iastate/onstage/g.php?MTID=ef1fa65a9a75d6bcacb28617892594c91
Proper & Practical Use of SO2
In the second 1-hour webinar the importance of sulfur dioxide, and good SO2 management in the winery, will be presented and discussed by Dr. Gavin Sacks (Cornell University) and Katie Cook (Scott Laboratories) on August 18, 2020 at 3PM Central
- August 18th 2020: Practical Management of Sulfur Dioxide
- 20-minute presentation on the definition of sulfur dioxide, the forms of sulfites, differences between free, bound and total SO2, the importance of SO2 in winemaking and a new method to measure SO2 by Dr. Gavin Sacks from Cornell university.
- 20-min presentation on the practical aspects of the management of sulfur dioxide in a winery by Katie Cook from Scott laboratories.
- 15-minute Questions and Answers moderated by Dr. Aude Watrelot and Drew Horton.
To register:
https://iastate.webex.com/iastate/onstage/g.php?MTID=e98abcc780dd31e367335e36914084d1e
For further details or any questions, check out the Wine Industry Events in Dr. Watrelot’s website https://faculty.sites.iastate.edu/watrelot/ or contact us at [email protected] and [email protected]
