Why We Grow Early Hybrid Grapes

Ever wonder why many Michigan wineries grow grape varieties you have never heard of?   Why don’t they just grow Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon?

Many years ago, the major horticultural universities cataloged most of the worlds grape vines by their demands on site, soil and climate.   The University of California at Davis went on to classify all of the agricultural land in California by heat summation.   It is all based on degree days.   That is, during the growing season, how many days the temperature exceeds 50 degrees Fahrenheit and by how much.  They went on to classify all of California’s agricultural land on a scale of I to V.   A region I would be what most vineyards in Michigan would be classified as with a heat summation from April 1 to October 31 of 2,500 degrees or less.   Only a few high spots along the Lawton Ridge in SW Michigan would exceed that and be considered Region II.

So, you might ask, why and how are vineyards like Fenn Valley successfully growing grapes such as Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot?   And, why in the LeRoux and Kamphuis vineyards just north of Holland is that impossible even though the heat summation is about the same as Fennville?

Simply stated, it is the difference of site.  A high, south/south west facing vineyard just far enough from Lake Michigan allows the cooling lake breezes in summer to warm up a bit and to allow the warming effects of Lake Michigan in the winter to provide some protection.   The hills around Paw Paw, Lawton, Berrien Springs, Coloma and Fennville are not blueberry country.   The low lying vineyards north of Holland are squarely in the middle of blueberry country.   What is ideal for blueberries is not ideal for most of the European Vinifera grape varieties such as Cabernet, Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot.   In fact, none of the European Vinifera grape varieties even those ideally suited for Region I such as Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Riesling will grow well and produce ripe fruit for a number of reasons with frost danger, moisture retention and poor air drainage being the primary culprits.

So, what grapes do grow well in blueberry country?   First of all, to grow grape vines that will thrive and produce fully ripe fruit the grape vine must be extremely hearty.   They must be able to withstand winter temperatures well below zero without dying back to the ground every year.   They also need to be own rooted* because a graft union is very cold sensitive.  Grapes that will be productive in blueberry country also need to be resilient as far as setting fruit.  In the event of an early frost, it is imperative that the vine is able to set a second crop if the first one gets frosted out when the flowers are just budding.  In low lying blueberry country, the danger of frost in the fall is ever present once you get into late September/early October.  So, to harvest healthy grapes here, the grapes must be fully ripe by mid to late September.  European varieties do not have any of these characteristics.

Starting in the late 1880’s French horticulturists started developing hybrid grape varieties by crossing American vines with European vines.   Grape varieties such as Seyval, Vidal, Leon Millot, Marechal Foch, Lucie Kuhlmann and Baco Noir would be examples of French hybrids.   Starting in earnest in the 1960’s US horticulturists picked up the baton and developed hybrids which are even more winter hearty and even more robust in flavor and color than most of the French hybrids.  

How do these hybrid grapes compare in flavor to European Vinifera varieties?   Well, in a nutshell, hybrid wines taste more like grapes.  Additionally, they possess a clear sense of the terroir** in which they are grown.  Both of the growers that supply grapes for our wines,  Kamphuis and LeRoux Vineyards, grow these varieties exclusively.

Marquette – A product of the University of Minnesota, Marquette is cold hearty down to -36 degrees, is disease resistant and one of the earliest ripening grapes in the vineyard.  Its wines are deep red with aromas of cherry, black pepper and dusty spices.  It generally reaches at least 12 percent natural alcohol.

Frontenac – Another U-MN product with extreme cold heartiness, produces excellent wines; it ripens just a bit later than Marquette with resulting wines possessing black berry like fruitiness with subtle forest-like green herbs, mushrooms and plum jam.

Leon Millot – A French hybrid usually referred to as simply Millot is very disease resistant though not quite as cold hearty nor as early ripening as Marquette.   Taste-wise, it is more elegant with richer more penetrating elderberry-like fruitiness than most hybrid varieties. Along with Castel and Chambourcin, its ability to make classy wine separates it from most other hybrids.

Marechal Foch – Also, French, and a sister to Millot, Foch can produce identical wine to Millot but generally offers a softer, simpler, earlier maturing wine than Millot and is ideal to blend with Millot.

St. Croix – Developed by Elmer Swenson, an upstate New York farmer in 1980, it normally ripens fully before setting a lot of sugar.   It seems to be very rain hearty and produced the best, densest, darkest most tannic wines that we made in 2016.  Normally not too aromatic, in 2016, the lateness of the harvest seems to have contributed to big black berry smells.

Castel – Only a single row of vines at LeRoux vineyard adds a touch of class and depth to our blends.  By itself, this French hybrid offers flavors similar to Millot with fine pure black fruit and a juicy finish.

Traminette – The only white varietal that we use, Traminette a NY hybrid produces wines with a distinct Moscato-like aroma and a spicy crisp citrus note similar to Gewurztraminer.

Enjoy in good health,
Brian Cain, the Michigan Vintner

*European Vinifera grape vines are grafted to American rootstocks in order to eliminate problems with soil borne parasites pervasive throughout the Americas and now in Europe as well.

** Terroir is the French word for “somewhereness”.  That is, one can taste and smell the essence of the vineyard.   When I am out in California and open a bottle of Michigan hybrid wine, the first thing that comes to mind is “wow, does that ever smell like Michigan”!