Image of red grape clusters with thumprint grape breeding logo and the words "Grape breeding and enology"

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.

Image of the first page of the Clarion fact sheet

News

Upcoming Cold Climate Grape Webinars

We will be hosting a series of webinars for cold climate grape growers during the winter months. The first two webinars in this series are taking place in December, and will cover pest management and spray programs.

  • Tuesday, Dec. 10, from 12:00-12:30pm: Revisit and Improve Your Vineyard Spray Program
  • Tuesday, Dec. 17, from 12:00-12:30pm: Developing Your Vineyard Weed Management Plan

Click here to sign up

Having a spray program that effectively and sustainably targets the diseases, weeds, and insects present in the vineyard, is an important skill for all grape growers regardless of experience level or vineyard size. An effective pest management program leads to higher yields, higher quality fruit, and more satisfied winemakers.

Even seasoned grape growers should be re-evaluating their spray program every year and making improvements to it. December is a great time to do that, so that you can order products for 2020 before the spring rush.

We will discuss how to decide which products to spray based on the pest species in your vineyard, when to spray them, and how to use a variety of resources to develop or improve a current spray program. 

    Click here to sign up for the webinars

    Registration is free, but we need you to register so that we can send you the login information.

    This webinar series is funded by a grant by the North Central Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program.

    Read more >>>

    Webinar Recording: Crop Insurance for Vineyards

    Did you miss the webinar on Wednesday about grape crop insurance? That's ok - we recorded it, and you can listen to it here. 

    Did you know? The USDA has implemented their Grape Crop Insurance Program into five Minnesota counties beginning in 2020, but you can get insurance for your vineyard even if you live outside of these 5 counties. Learn more about what this means for grape growers in Minnesota and surrounding states. 

    To listen to the recording from the Oct. 23 webinar: click here to watch on Youtube, or watch below: 

    *Please note: The deadline to purchase your 2020 Grape policy is November 20, 2019, so please watch the webinar recording and learn about the program before it’s too late!

    Presenter: Craig Christianson, Risk Management Specialist, USDA

    Topics Covered: 

    • Background on the Risk Management Agency and the USDA Grape Program

    • Written Agreements - How to obtain insurance through a written agreement if your vineyard is not located in one of the five Minnesota counties with the grape program.

    • Grape Program in Minnesota

    Read more >>>