Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/560612
www.goodfruit.com GOOD FRUIT GROWER SEPTEMBER 2015 17 The lesser-known VARIETIES Vintners that includes an estate vineyard in Mesa and winery operations in Prosser. "Some are rowdy and challenging, like Roussanne, and some, like Malbec, make you proud. Malbec, for us, has done very well, and it's been like watching one of our kids walk through graduation ceremonies." He urged growers to research varietals before planting. "It's very expensive to plant a vineyard, so do your homework. Know where the vines are coming from, what kind of climate, soil type, slope, and aspect are needed. You've got to go with certifi ed, clean plant material because it's just too costly to pull a vineyard out." Horse Heaven Hills' Mike Andrews grows about 25 varieties of wine grapes, 19 of which are lesser-known varieties. The owner of Coyote Canyon Vineyard and Winery planted his first wine grapes in 1994. "Make sure you have a contract before planting lesser-known varieties, and make sure the winery is financially stable," he said. "Although wines from these varietals are getting a lot of publicity and media attention, when a shopper goes into a grocery store, they're still an unknown. Remember that you're planting a grape without a proven market, and it will be hard to fi nd another buyer if you lose your winery." Lesser-known varieties require more management, says Hattrup. "You've got to like doing the extra steps. You really need to like growing these varieties, and so do your employees." Andrews added that white varieties require more water than red varieties. Costs are usually greater with lesser- known varieties because of the extra management and labor involved in things like taking cluster shoulders off, explained Hattrup. "Extra steps mean extra costs." All three growers recommend that those with lesser-known varieties sell fruit by acreage contract and not tonnage because of the extra work required to meet winery expectations. Growers shouldn't be penalized for the extra management steps, they say. While the varieties often cost more to produce, there are positives involved with them, such as fi lling niche markets, attracting a wider base of winemaker customers, and diversifying a grower's portfolio. Hattrup said lesser-known varieties can help improve labor efficiencies, a major advantage with today's tight supply of agricultural workers. With his diverse varieties, he is able to space out harvest and retain workers for longer periods of time. He keeps a core group of about 14 employees busy throughout the year. • Roger Gamache CONTINUE THE STORY ONLINE Roger Gamache and Mike Andrews share more tips on growing the lesser-known varieties Barbera, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Petit Verdot, Viognier, Roussanne, and Marsanne. Read the complete story at goodfruit.com. Mike Andrews W ashington State grape growers Roger Gamache of Mesa and Mike Andrews of Horse Heaven Hills appellation share what they've learned from growing the lesser-known variety Malbec: Gamache planted his fi rst Malbec in 2003 and has clones 9, 4, and 6. Vines are spaced nine feet between rows and fi ve feet between vines in a north-south orientation on an east-facing slope. His soil has a caliche layer, and the site has medium heat units of around 3,000 growing degree-days. "We've been just tickled with Malbec," he said. "It's not a vigorous grower on our shallow soil, which is one of the key ingredients to our site." He tried machine harvesting but says the skin on the red grape is too thin, and it almost made wine during the harvest process. Andrews, who keeps detailed data on all of his varieties—from bloom and lag phase dates to thin- ning and leaf stripping dates to cluster weights and special concerns—added that Malbec has done well for them in their shallow site with vines spaced six feet apart and nine feet between rows. They keep yields to around 3.75 tons per acre, remove leaves in the fruiting zone by hand and cluster thin, removing wings from clusters. He has Malbec trained to a bilateral cordon. — M. Hansen