Varietal: White Hybrid Grapes
Cayuga White: Get hooked on its feeling
MEMBERS ONLYA hybrid grape that came out of Cornell University’s breeding program in the 1970s, Cayuga White has found great success while being made into a wide array of wine styles. Learn about its qualities plus a recipe to craft your own at home.
Bold Brianna: A strong and healthy grower
MEMBERS ONLYElmer Swenson’s grape breeding program has had a profound effect on the North American wine scene. One such grape to come from his program is Brianna, a grape that required an estimated 93 crosses to produce. Learn about this grape’s heritage as well as how to best work with it.
La Crescent: Cold-Climate Hybrid
MEMBERS ONLYLooking for a cold-hardy white to grow in a colder northern clime? Meet the University of Minnesota’s La Crescent.
Making La Crescent Wine: Tips from the Pros
MEMBERS ONLYThanks to the University of Minnesota, wine grapes can thrive in some of the coldest climates in North America (and beyond). In this issue, two winemakers discuss making wine with the Minnesota-bred, cold-hardy hybrid, La Crescent. Scott Prom, Winemaker at Shelburne Vineyard in Shelburne, Vermont. Scott’s interest in wine started in 1985 while living in
Vidal Blanc
MEMBERS ONLYVidal Blanc was originally develloped for Cognac production in the cold maritime regions of western France. Today it is a go-to grape in the US Northeast and Midwest as well as Canada. Plus, a recipe for Vidal icewine.
Native American Grape Varietals
MEMBERS ONLYBotanists tell us that grapes are members of the genus Vitis, and the well-known European grape varieties are members of the species vinifera. (In case you’ve forgotten, a species is one rung lower in the botanical classification system than a genus.) When the Europeans first came to the New World, they found grapes growing in great profusion
The many wines of Chardonel
MEMBERS ONLYChardonel, as the name implies, has Chardonnay as one of its parents and is used to make similar wine styles. Its popularity is largely along the East Coast and Midwest regions of the United States, but its wines stand up against those from any region.
Traminette: Little Gewürztraminer grows up
MEMBERS ONLYIt is so wonderful to have such friends and colleagues at WineMaker magazine who keep inviting me back to speak at the annual conference (and I am looking forward to San Diego, California next May and hope to see you there as well). As I reflect back on this past year’s conference in Ithaca, New
Seyval Blanc
FREESeyval blanc (say-VAHL blahnk) is a hybrid, the product of intentional breeding to blend and express desirable traits from the parent vines. And unfortunately, hybrids often get no respect in the world
Seyval Blanc: Varietal Focus
MEMBERS ONLYThe Seyval Blanc (Seyve-Villard 5276), a cold-climate white grape variety, is the leading choice for many winemakers who live in the chilly eastern and northern regions of North America. This hardy varietal produces abundant crops in cold climates and offers the winemaker an opportunity to make a variety of wines from one grape. Seyval Blanc
Making Seyval Blanc: Tips from the Pros
MEMBERS ONLYBill Hopkins followed a path taken by many American winemakers. A dairy farmer who saw his business fading in the 1970s — at the same time the wine industry was taking off — he sold off the herd and replanted his pastures to vineyards. Twenty years later he is the proprietor of a small, award-winning