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7 2 V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T | M a r - A p r 2 015 w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m man-Valenti, who runs a high-value crops project. Stenger, who is assisted by Plo- cher and a project team, said the greenhouse can produce 3,000- 5,000 seedlings per year with a por- tion bearing fruit in 8-12 months. The project – a grape germplasm (living tissue from which new plants can be grown) enhancement program – was initiated in response to growers' needs with financial assistance from the North Dakota state legislature and modeled after a method developed by Tyler Kaban at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada. The goal is to develop "super-cold-hardy" cultivars that can survive temperatures of at least 40 below zero. In fall 2014, Stenger, Plocher and a panel of winemakers and researchers went to a local winery to evaluate wines made from 23 of their initial seedling selections – the first indigenous North Dakota including winemakers, academics and grapegrowers. Experimental growers share a common passion for developing new grapes. While there is profit potential from expanding the range of commercial viticulture, most cold-hardy breeders are attracted by the creative process of compos- ing new cultivars. "For me, it was the goal of trying to develop some- thing that was better for the Illinois wine industry," said Bill Shoemak- er, a horticulturalist who retired from the University of Illinois in 2012 after 30 years of service. Shoemaker said he believes that utilizing some of the many adapt- ed grape species of North Amer- ica could lead to a new viticultural paradigm for sustainability. "I think it's an opportunity largely ignored and dismissed by the rest of the world," he asserted. "Also, as I get older, working with these amazing plants is also a great way to keep myself happy and goal-oriented." The next generation of cold- hardy grape breeders is already at work. John Stenger, a plant scienc- es Ph.D. candidate at North Dakota State University, is breeding cold- hardy cultivars in a greenhouse, overseen by Dr. Harlene Hatter- wines ever made. The results were promising. "The best ones from our wine tasting will be moving to a rep- licated trial for yield tests," said Stenger. "We're saying we need at least five to 10 years of testing and replicated study after (the vines) start bearing fruit before we really know whether there's something that truly is better than what we currently have available." Mark Ganchiff is the publisher of Midwest Wine Press in Chicago. Danny Wood is a Kansas City- based Australian journalist who writes for Midwest Wine Press and works at Belvoir Winery. He was smitten by wine (and his American wife) while living in Spain, reporting for BBC News. Comments? Please e-mail us at feedback@vwmmedia.com. North Dakota State University Ph.D. candidate John Stenger is breeding cold-hardy cultivars in a greenhouse.