Reading Between the Vines
by Brian Edwards
Many present and potential growers will be looking at their vines – or other people’s vines, with alarm and dismay. I have over 400 varieties planted, and can, regrettably, find very few carrying anything like a full crop. In our area, the vines were flowering at the very worst point of the weather, and most flower was just washed out. It is, quite simply, the worst season I can remember in over thirty years. Next year will be better. Note that current EU legislation seems likely to forbid chaptalising with sugar, and it may be time to reconsider what is grown. Here, from my trials and observations, are some vines that may be worth planting. I have included a number of hybrids, both for quality and for potential no – spray vineyards. Some would be worthwhile as standard sorts, others might offer growers something different, particularly useful where a significant part of sales come from your own shop.
WHITE VARIETIES
BIANCA. Hybrid. Hungarian vine breeding has for no very obvious reason aimed at early sorts. This one is by report Eger 2 x Bouviertraube. It is an easy to grow vine with upright growth, and crops reported from Germany at 100hl per hectare, a decent amount. It ripens well for me, medium late but with excellent sugars. Good sized loose bunches help very good disease resistance , and it may be possible to grow this without spraying. Reports say that it makes fine Sauvignon style wine, and this is confirmed by my own small scale trials.
FINDLING. This has been mishandled by growers, and is not, as first thought, a Muller Thurgau clonal variation. It was found in a Muller Thurgau plantation originating from Hungary, and is now known to be the variety Bouviertraube. I have had, from Hungary, very fine late picked and botrytis affected wines of this variety, and think that this is where it would be useful. It crops well with disease controlled , and ripens mid early with high to very high sugars, and decent crops.
GUTENBORNER. A German cross, Muller Thurgau x Chasselas Napoleon, hardly parents to suggest quality wine. It grows and crops well, with good sugars and moderate acidity, ripening with Muller Thurgau. Notably, the few who grow it make surprisingly good wine, probably better than Reichensteiner. It may be worth considering as an alternative, or for a non-standard commercial crop.
JOHANNITER. Hybrid. A recent German introduction from Freiburg. Breeding (Reisling x SV12-48) x Rulander x Gutedal). A great deal of work has been put into producing and earlier, disease resistant Reisling in German plant breeding, and this may be it. A neat, upright grower, with apparently good disease resistance, as reported. By report, high quality.(Reisling but earlier). A first result for me in 2006 gave sugars of oe85 by early October, with balanced acidity.
KANZLER. The reported parentage is Muller Thurgau x Sylvaner, which I have trouble believing. Simply, the wine is too good. The variety is a minor player in Germany, producing moderate quantities of very fine auslese, dubiously commercial there simply because it is not called Reisling. It was given a bad report in books by Gillian Pearkes in the past, entirely, as far as I can see from experimental reports from Germany. I have found it easy to grow, with good crops of fairly large yellow berries of fine flavour and high sugars – always oe80 plus over many years. It needs a normal spray programme, but I have found wood ripening perfectly acceptable. Ripe by early October, making lovely wine for me , and from Germany, some of the best late harvested wines I have ever tasted. There should surely be room for this sort in the UK. for the quality wine market.
PHOENIX. Hybrid. A mention only, as it is well known. Recent tastings have suggested moderate quality wine. I suspect that over heavy cropping is part of the problem, and have tasted good wines from this variety, and excellent blends with Seyval Blanc.
PINOT GRIS. The German Rulander clones are probably best for the UK. This variety was widely trialled and rejected as just too late in the very early years. Many sites were poor, and more recently, it has been planted successfully. It has given good crops, rather late ripening but with high sugars, and some very good wine, often soft and peachy. Worth trying, and it would pay potential growers to check out early clones, which do exist.
SIRIUS. Hybrid, like Phoenix a cross between Bacchus x Seyve Villiard 12375. I tried this with doubts, but contrary to German report it ripened earlier than Muller Thurgau, with good crops, fine flavour and balanced acidity. Easy to grow, and apparent excellent disease resistance. A large cluster and berry. German reports also claim Reisling style wine of high quality. A full sister to Phoenix, and may be the better sort. This needs a commercial trial.
SOLARIS. Hybrid. Merzling x Saperavi Servanyi. A new sort from Becker at Freiburg. I planted some with serious doubts about it’s reported performance, but results are as claimed. It is of a sprawling habit of growth, and will surely do best on high wire training systems. It ripens very early ,often at the end of September, with very high sugars and a fairly large bunch and berry. Disease resistance is very high, though noble rot is possible if the grower waits long enough. Acidity is moderate, and sugar levels of over 100oe are quite usual. Rich fruity wine can be made. My own first trial produced lovely wine, like a high quality Pinot Gris. Should be on every growers list, and will surely blend most successfully with Seyval Blanc, as well as making fine wine on its own account.
STAUFFER. Hybrid. Another full sister to Phoenix. The cross Bacchus x Seyve Villiard 12375 has produced a number of successful cultivars. German reports had it as just too late, but this is not so, and it ripens with Phoenix for me .Good crops, with a fairly large bunch and berry. Good sugars, usually oe80 plus, better than Phoenix. High disease resistance. By report, good wine. Worth trying.
ZALAGYONGYE. Hybrid Hungarian variety, breeding Eger 2 x Perle De Csaba. Ripe by early October, with good crops and high disease resistance. Very vigorous. Good sugars, and one of the few sorts with a decent crop this year for me. The grapes have a delicate Muscat flavour, very like Phoenix, and Hungarians see the sort as dual purpose. I think it is a wine grape. Makes very good Phoenix style wine, and should be tried.
BLACK VARIETIES
ACOLON. Breeding Limburger x Dornfelder. Anyone considering Dornfelder would probably be better advised to opt for this variety instead. It crops well, and is ripe early October. Colour and sugars are both better than Dornfelder. A rather sprawling habit of growth. Good balance of acid and flavour, and the wine, by German report, is better than Dornfelder, which, in Germany is no small praise.
CABERNET CORTIS. Hybrid. Another Becker variety from Freiburg. Breeding is Cabernet Sauvignon x Solaris. This is recommended entirely on German report, which has proved accurate about Solaris. It is on trial with me, but no results yet. By report ,leaf and shoot is like Cabernet Sauvignon. It colours and ripens about ten to fifteen days before Pinot Noir, with a long bunch and small berry. Sugars 6 to 10 degrees oe higher than Pinot Noir, with similar acidities and a rather heavier crop. Very good wood ripening, and very disease resistant, with spray free growing possible. The wine is rich and good, structured and typically Cabernet Sauvignon. I am trying this, and think others should too.
CASTEL 19637. French hybrid. Tough, disease resistant, and easy to grow. It is carrying a full crop this year 2007. Breeding Vitis Rupestris x Oiellade. This has performed well in cold climate USA, making, by report, complex, interesting, highly coloured wine. For me, high sugars – usually oe 80 plus, and heavy crops. Good trial wines for me, with no trace of ‘hybrid’ flavour. Has possibilities, particularly for spray free growing.
FOCH. Hybrid, from Kuhlman at Colmar, breeding 101Mgt x Goldreisling. People growing or considering that excellent hybrid Triomphe D’Alsace should also look at this sort. Very similar, it can be grown without spraying, giving fair to good crops with sugars normally over 80 oe by early October. There is no hybrid flavour, and the wine is of good colour and flavouring, taking well to being lightly oaked. It is the main black variety in cold climate USA., and regularly wins awards against vinifera wines. Worth a trial.
FRUHBURGUNDER. An ancient early clone of Pinot Noir. Widely planted in small amounts in Germany, where cropping is considered too low and the wine moderate, there can be no doubt it is better in every way in Britain. Being widely planted, largely for fake champagne, and has the advantage of guaranteed ripening, and enough colour and flavour for fine red wine. As winemakers get the hang of making it, I think this will be a major part of our red wine scene.
LANDOT 2317. Hybrid, a French grape of unknown breeding, about which I can find no information. I do know from my trials that it is of upright growth and moderate vigour with good to very good crops of small grapes ripe by mid October . High sugars , always oe80 plus, and moderate acids, with an excellent non hybrid flavour, and much promise for wine. A full crop this year 2007.I would like to see this given a trial on a larger scale than I can manage.
RONDO. Hybrid. Breeding Saparavi Servanyi x St Laurent. This is becoming popular, and deservedly so. Early, with good to excellent sugars and colour with moderate acidity, it makes good wine even when crops are heavy, and must have potential for fine wine. Crops can indeed be very heavy. The variety has a sprawling habit of growth, and contrary to German and other report, no real disease resistance. Give this sort a normal spray programme, because, although hybrid, it has, I stress, no resistant ancestor in its breeding.
ZWEIGELTREBE. Austrian vine, just too late when originally tried. Excellent crops and can make very good wine in Austria. A hatif sort – ripens fast once it begins to do so. In recent years has been ripening well by the second half of October for me, with very large crops of well flavoured grapes. Worth a second look, as I think It could make well flavoured roses , and may even have red wine potential.
We hold the National Grape Vine collection, and trial over 400 cool climate varieties, selling plants on a small scale to finance this. Details can be seen at our website, http://vinenursery.netfirms.com and we can be reached by phone at 01981240256. The collection is open for viewing on the first weekend in September, as usual, though this year crops are ,regrettably, very poor.
© Brian Edwards