Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/603228
34 DECEMBER 2015 Good Fruit Grower www.goodfruit.com New York wine varietal debuts G oose Watch Winery became the first in the nation to offer the new wine varietal Aromella, and it did so just a year after Cornell initially released the grape in 2013. The story, however, starts several years earlier, according to David Peterson, who is the president and co-owner of Goose Watch, Swedish Hill, and Penguin Bay Wineries in the Finger Lakes region of New York. Peterson's commercial vineyards had been cooperating with Cornell on promising numbered selections from the university's breeding program, with a special interest in hybrids of whites and reds with improved viticultural and or enological characteristics to existing commercially grown interspecific hybrids. One was NY76.0844.24, as Aromella was originally known. After initially planting it in 2005, the vineyard operation began producing and testing wines made from the new grape. Once Cornell named and released the Aromella in 2013, Goose Watch began commercial production and released the 2013 vintage the following year. Peterson is happy with the grape and the wine. He described the grape as cold hardy and relatively trouble-free to grow. "The pri- mary drawback that we have seen is that it is susceptible to shelling when it gets ripe, so our experience is that it is not one suited to long hang time nor is it suited to late harvest or ice wines," he said. The Goose Watch 2013 Aromella is "an aromatic semi-dry white wine with distinctive characteristics unlike any other varietal in the Finger Lakes. The wine often shows orange blossom Muscat-like aromas, although some years it leans more towards its Traminette parentage in flavors.As we gain more experience with it, we will likely better understand how weather conditions and timing of harvest influences the flavor profile." Overall, he added, Aromella has "proved to have its own dis- tinct varietal characteristics, which fit in well with our 'path-less- traveled' approach to varietal wines at our Goose Watch Winery, so we saw a logical fit there." —L. Mertz 800-392-6059 www.gillisons.com Double Topper & Hedger Dual Hedger Double Topper & Hedger Center Mount Topper & Hedger Top, hedge or skirt with the extensive line of rugged GVF hedgers. Heavy tubular steel construction with high tensile strength steel and rigid tractor mount. See them all at www.gillisons.com GVF Rough Terrain Forklifts These smooth operating, rugged lifts offer excellent visibility so you can get the job done quickly and comfortably. Available in four models including the all new 60" wide compact, Tier IV model! TIER IV FINAL! Find a dealer and see the full GVF line at: GVF 5000, 6000 & 8000 Available in 2WD or 4WD. GVF 4000 Available in 4WD. Top, hedge or skirt with the extensive line of rugged GVF Hedgers, Toppers & Skirters Dual Hedger Specialty Orchard & Vineyard Equipment since 1977. QUALITY QUALITY QUALITY CONSISTENCY CONSISTENCY CONSISTENCY PORTABILITY PORTABILITY PORTABILITY Want the best quality produce? Use the F-750 Produce Quality Meter to non-destructively measure dry matter, total soluble solids (TSS, also known as brix), and acid, as well as assess fruit maturity and esh color! CONSISTENCY CONSISTENCY CONSISTENCY PRECISION MADE IN CAMAS, WA Achieve consistency across acres Attain excellent eating quality Increase storage life Use the F-750 Produce Quality Meter to non-destructively measure matter, total soluble solids (TSS, also known as brix), and acid, as well as assess fruit maturity and Try our instruments for yourself at the NW Hort Expo in Yakima, Washington, booth number 4C in the Yakima Convention Center and Sun Dome. www.felixinstruments.com | 360-833-8835 | sales@felixinstruments.com