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2 2 V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T | N o v - D e c 2 016 w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m grown or vinified on a commercial scale, which is quite different than a research setting. But I was definite- ly impressed by the sample." He adds that he also trusts the enthusi- asm that John and Jenny Thull, the University of Minnesota's vineyard managers, have shown for Itasca. A NEW INDUSTRY There's no doubt that the pros- pect of a tasty new wine coming our way is exciting; but in addition to being a palate pleaser, the emer- gence of any viable new grape is important in other ways. The intro- duction of cold-hardy grapes has spurred the growth of a new indus- try across a sizeable swath of the United States. According to a 2012 survey, cold-hardy grapes have now been planted across 618 acres in 13 states: Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, Min- nesota, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, South Dakota, Vermont and Wisconsin. The arrival of a super-star variety will further contribute to regional economic growth. T h e r e 's a n o t h e r s i g n i f i c a n t , though perhaps less discussed, reason the development of a new grape variety is important. It has to do with the industry's reliance on a small gene pool. Ninety-eight per- I also checked in with Gary and Mary Barnhart, owners of Vic- tory View Vineyard in New York's Hudson Valley, to assess their optimism. Gary told me that, by nature, he's a skeptic: "I look at things that have been hyped with a grain of salt — but yeah, I'm opti- mistic about this grape. We've had good luck with the other Universi- ty of Minnesota grapes, so we're definitely looking forward to trying this one." And so, for the immediate future at least, Itasca seems destined to be the star that will burst onto the scene and outshine other grapes that have been developed in the past few decades. "And now the fun part begins, as industry professionals work to grow the grapes and make the wines," says Clark. "I hope to hear many success stories and look for- ward to trying Itasca wines." Marguerite Thomas is a Balti- more-based journalist and photogra- pher who contributes wine-related articles to several national and inter- national publications. She is the author of the books "Wineries of the Eastern States" and "Visiting East Coast Wineries." Comments? Please e-mail us at feedback@vwmmedia.com. cent of wine grapes grown world- wide belong to the species Vitis vinifera, and almost all grape culti- vars grown commercially are either V. vinifera or hybrids that include V. vinifera parentage. This use of a single Vitis species for almost all grape growing has resulted in extensive clonal relationships and limited diversity. Granted, the strong preference of consumers and of the wine industry itself for traditional variet- ies makes the acceptance of new cultivars difficult, but the lack of diversity has left vineyards suscep- tible to a host of continually evolv- ing pathogens such as Pierce's disease. The most common grape cultivars derive their entire ances- try from the species Vitis vinifera, but wild relatives also have been developed to create hybrid culti- vars (such as Itasca), often with increased disease resistance. One question still worth rais- ing is whether vintners will rush to embrace yet another new grape when it's released in 2017. Farmer, for one, seems enthusiastic about it. "We're very excited about the release of Itasca. We sell vines across the country and have an enormous interest in planting Itasca from Maine to Montana. I look for- ward to helping growers start a new chapter in their vineyards." EAST WATCH MARGUERITE THOMAS