An idea!

We started out with the idea of growing a (wine) vineyard in 2005.  As nobody had planted wine grapes in this area before,  nobody could tell us what grapes would survive.  So we planted 32 varieties of grapes to see what would grow.  Then we made a whole bunch of small batches of wine to see what grapes would make decent wine. 

Over the years we have found that this southern portion of the Huron Shores Emerging Wine region can support all the predominant types of wine grapes (Vitis Vinfera and Hybrids).  However, we were really happy to find out that the traditional winemaking workhorses – Vitis Vinifera – grew and ripened well in this area.  

Our gravel ridge soils allow the grapes to drain well and seem to produce grapes slightly higher in acid than the Niagara area – perfect for making “Italian style, food friendly wines”.

Map shows the wineries of the Huron Shores emerging wine region.

We now maintain our largest plantings in the following varieties:

Classic world wine grapes – Vitis Vinifera:

  • Cabernet Franc
  • Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Riesling
  • Sauvignon Blanc

We also have sensitive (for this region) Vitis Vinifera that we are monitoring for long term climate change adaption:

  • Merlot
  • Malbec
  • Shiraz

Vitis Vinifera are the worlds best wine grapes, and have been grown for centuries around the world, as they tend to ripen to optimum sugar, acid and varietal characteristics.

Varieties such as Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon are pushing the ripening envelope in Ontario – but this  boundary is starting to move away with climate change.

We also have maintained some of our original plantings in the newer wine grape varieties, called Hybrids.   Some of our larger planting are:

  • Marechal Foch (an old French Hybrid)
  • Vidal (an old French Hybrid)
  • Frontenac (a newer cold temperature resistant variety developed in Minnesota)
  • Baco Noir (an old French Hybrid)
  • Luch Kuhlman (a newer cold temperature resistant variety)
  • Chambourcin (an old French Hybrid)
  • and others.

Hybrid grapes were developed for different reasons over the past century or so.  Mainly for disease resistance in Europe (so you can spray less) and mainly for low temperature resistance in North America (so they can survive cold winters).  Here is a beginner guide to hybrid grape varieties.

For a list of possible Hybrid wine characteristics see this link to the Grape Growers Handbook.

Hybrids grapes are not ideal wine grapes as their acids and sugars tend to be too high on ripening – so advanced wine making techniques, such as tannin additions and acid reduction, are required to make a decent wine from them – but they can play a part in our strategies.  Hybrids also tend to develop “funky, foxy” wild grape flavors if fermented on the skins – part of their wild grape heritage – but new research is showing ways to reduce this issue.  Some hybrids are slowly being approved by our Ontario VQA as winemaking techniques are advanced. 

Hybrids can reduce our chemical (pesticide) load on the environment so they are important to understand in winemaking.  And Hybrids can make great blending components to enhance other wines.  For a great, complex, full bodies red example of this, try our Egremont wine.

We also have grown a Hybrid of our own – a White grape called Aberarder White.  Tasting notes, and purchases, of this grape variety can be found in our online wine page.

Other than Vidal and Aberarder White, we are not increasing our hybrid grape plantings, as the traditional Vitis Vinifera seems to do very well in our area.  Our grape issues mainly stem from birds, not diseases, so our chemical use is low with our current varieties.  Just as a side note – we seldom spray any pesticides except for Mildews – no herbicides or insecticides – as our practices focus on long term sustainability of the vineyard. 

Growing Degree Days (GDDs):

Growing Degree Days are an important factor in ripening grapes. 

From OMAFRAs website on grapes:

For grapes to ripen, a minimum of 155 frost free days is recommended for early-ripening grapes, while a minimum of 180 frost free days is recommended for late-ripening varieties. Another indicator of grape ripening potential is heat summation expressed as the number of growing degree days (GDD). GDD are calculated from the average minimum and maximum temperatures each day between the months of April to October, then subtracting 50°F from each value and summing up these values. A minimum of 2500 to 3500 GDD is required to ripen most vinifera varieties, while as few as 1800 to 2500 GDD can be enough to ripen some Hybrid varieties and early-ripening vinifera varieties (Wolf, 2008).

GDD Maps for Ontario

With all today’s technology you would think a GDD map would be easy to find for grapes.  Here is the best that I could find (in metric and imperial units).

 

 

 

If you look at the degree day maps of Ontario, you can see regions where Vitis Vinifera may ripen fully.  Using Niagara as the baseline, as this is where most of the existing successful Vinifera plantings are in Ontario, these Vitis Vinifera wine grape regions are Erie North Shore, Prince Edward County, and the Southern Region of Huron Shores (to about Grand Bend).  This Southern region of Huron Shores (where Alton Farms is located) is suitable to ripen both Vinifera and Hybrids grapes.  The Northern region of Huron Shores, Grand Bend and North,  is showing less Growing Degree Days than the “Niagara” climate and may prove to be more suitable for Hybrids.

Other regions of Southern Ontario (outside Niagara, Erie North Shore, PE County and Huron Shores (South)) may have grape ripening Growing Degree Days more suitable for the Hybrid varieties.