Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/34757
Stop paying for lime. Stop buying nitrogen. Siegerrebe Made entirely in the USA All Alan Bradley components management to avoid less than full bunches, has good disease resistance, with Botrytis bunch rot showing up only occasionally. Good producer, consistently cropping five tons per acre, but can slip to 800 pounds per acre if not managed properly. Rootstock can improve cluster size. Madeleine Angevine (Madeleine Royale x Precoce de Malingre)—Another tried and Lowest operating costs Largest energy incentives in the industries Longest warranties Cutting edge Automation & Technology - Remote monitoring & control Proven results Leasing available Local representation & service Bryan Theile 616.719.7845 2751 Courier Drive NW Grand Rapids, MI 49534 Tel: 616-735-3939 CAinfo@tuffautomation.com Grand Rapids, MI Mark Reiter 509.969.4577 Yakima, WA We can help you save your money and lower your operating costs. true white variety that’s been grown in Puget Sound for 30 years and used as a bench- mark variety. Produces an average of five to seven tons per acre, Brix at 18.5, titratable acidity at 1.05. Promising red varieties Pinot Noir—Clones 71 and 72 have been planted in western Washington. Thornton is not convinced they are using the right rootstock and thinks ultimately the variety will be a winner year in and year out for the region. “There’s very little room for mistakes with Pinot Noir when grown on the west side.” He’s found that both canopy management and cluster thinning are important with the variety. Pinot Noir Precoce—Ripens two to three weeks earlier than other Pinot Noir clones. Rootstocks are needed for the clone to ripen early, and the variety needs a warm site. Thornton is trying different rootstocks, including Schwarzmann, 3309 Courderc, and 1616 Courderc, to see if fruit can get riper. He believes Precoce shows potential for the region, though few test wines have been made. Regent (German variety cross of [Sylvaner x Muller Thurgau] x Chambourcin)—Has one-eighth Labrusca parentage. “Very experimental, but is very promising and looks to be the best variety in Puget Sound for making full-bodied, red wines,” Thornton reports. Medium- to large-sized clusters, no disease problems—resistant to bunch rot—though shot berries can be a problem on cooler sites and weaker soils, and there have been some problems with early bud stem necrosis. Some growers have planted on own-roots, though it may do better on a rootstock. Brix levels in the last three years (2008 to 2010) were 21.1, 22.8, and 18.9, respectively. Good soil and canopy management will be important with this variety. Rondo (German cross of [Saperavi x Severnyi] x St. Laurent)—Thornton is impressed with the flavor profiles and with how well the wines have turned out. Good-sized bunches; larger berries may contribute to lighter style of wines. Shows some resistance to bunch rot. High sugars in 2008 at 21.5° Brix and 23° in 2009. Zweigelt (Lemberger x St. Laurent)—Also known as Zweigeltrebe, widely planted in its native country of Austria. Thornton is very impressed with this variety that has turned out lighter-style, red wines. Variety seems to enjoy the Puget Sound climate. Large clus- ters are often so massive that it can be challenging to get tonnage below six tons per acre. Easy variety to manage, but need to watch for bunch rot. Golubok—Believed to be Russian origin from the Ukraine. Has one-eighth parentage of Cabernet Sauvignon. Extremely early variety with red flesh and juice that attracts birds before you think it’s time to net. The dark, inky-black red juice could be useful in blend- ing. Smokiness in the fruit. Susceptible to bunch rot. Probably needs 1800 growing degree-days to be able to drop acids sufficiently as they tend to stay high. Brix in 2008 was 20.2; in 2009 was 24.8. Promising white varieties Burmunk—Armenian origins, early ripening, fantastic aromas of peach, apricot, and tropical flavors not typically noted in western Washington varieties. Very susceptible to bunch rot. Thornton has observed small but full bunches, appears to be cold hardy. Ripens seven to ten days before Siegerrebe and is the earliest variety in his area. Sauvignon Blanc—Clone 01 seems to have better fruit quality (Brix, acid, and such) Your Agricultural Water Quality Specialists • Irrigation Water Quality for optimum irrigation system efficiency and delivery • Irrigation Water Microbiology for Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) • Warehouse Process Water Quality for wastewater discharge compliance • Warehouse Water Microbiology for food safety verification program • Drinking Water Potability Tests for worker housing requirement 3019 GS Center Road Wenatchee, WA 98801 509-662-1888 34 JUNE 2011 GOOD FRUIT GROWER • 800-545-4206 • 1008 W. Ahtanum Road, #2 Union Gap, WA 98903 509-452-7707 www.cascadeanalytical.com and ripens one to two weeks earlier than clone 02. Needs bunch thinning, is susceptible to Botrytis. In warmer years, fruit has melon flavors, but grassier, traditional Sauvignon Blanc flavors in cooler years. “This is a variety I’m excited about, though I’d be cautious until we have a lot of experience growing it,” Thornton said. Early ripening rootstocks will move up ripening by ten days. Pinot Gris—Requires at least 1900 growing degree-days, and the clonal choice is important. Rulander clones 146 and 151 have proven to be early. Variety is susceptible to bunch rot, and bunches are smaller than some varieties, but the wines being produced are promising. Pinot Gris on rootstocks has shown improvement over own-rooted Pinot Gris. Grüner Veltliner—Been in trial for ten years, but not enough wines made yet to know its potential. Needs around 2200 growing degree-days, has nice loose bunches. Alvarinho—Grown in northwestern Spain. Grows best under 2000 growing degree- days. First crop will be next year. Is said to continue to ripen at 50°F, which would be of high interest to Puget Sound growers. Riesling clones—Much of the region is similar to Germany’s wine regions, and has similar growing degree-days averages as Germany’s Mosel (1831 GDD) and Geisenheim (1876 GDD) areas. Several German clones have just been planted. • www.goodfruit.com TOM THORNTON