Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/230154
Northwest Growers Experiment with Hybrids Cold-hardy varieties show promise in chilly, wet growing regions BY MARK 68 GANCHIFF V I N E YA R D & WINE RY MANAGEM ENT | he Pacific Northwest is one of the United States' premier wine regions, known worldwide for its merlot and riesling wines from Washington state and pinot noir from Oregon. While the 75,000-plus acres of wine grapes in Washington and Oregon are predominantly vinifera, a small-but-increasing number of wineries in the Pacific Northwest are growing interspecific hybrid varieties. In 2013, one of Washington state's top winegrowers, Paul Champoux of Champoux Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA, made national wine news when he announced that he would be harvesting Marquette, a cold-hardy hybrid developed by the University of Minnesota. The Jan - Feb 2014 wine made from Champoux's 1,000 pounds of Marquette, produced by Charlie Hoppes at Fidelitas Wines and Hilary Sjolund of Sonoris Wines, will be available in small quantities this spring. "I went to Marquette High School in Yakima and I must admit the name 'Marquette' was my first draw to plant this American hybrid," Champoux said, adding that he is also interested to see how it adapts to the region. While the variety's name was the main attraction for Champoux, whose vineyard is planted in hot, dry southeastern Washington, growers in cooler Northwest regions are turning to hybrids for their cold-hardiness and resistance to disease. w w w. v wm m e d i a . c o m