Question:
I have found a local farmer that has 19 varieties of grape… Half is planted to varieties of Concord, the rest is a mixed bag… Where would I find a list of grapes that would indicate something that would be worth making wine without being ridiculously foxy.
As for the White wines: I’ve found Niagara, Diamond, and Delaware to be very similiar and not very suitable for dry table wines. Diamond and Delaware seem to be very similar to Niagara. Cayuga and Aurora (several spellings) make pretty good wine. Cayuga is widely sold in upstate NY as a very inexpensive semi-dry table wine. Aurora blends well with other grapes and fruits (especially berries). I made wine from Dutchess (reputedly an original strain/type that Thomas Jefferson brought back from France, as a Chardonnay. The wine was pretty bad untill after 2 years of aging, then it shaped up pretty well. Catawba has been used to make sweet wines, but can also be used to make a spicy dry wine, when treated like Gewurtz. Lakemont and Himrod were also planted and used for sweet dessert wines, but I’ve had very good success using them for dry wines. Be sure the fruit is fully ripe, if picked under ripe, there is a tendency towards Niagara aromas and flavors. For Reds wines: There are a couple sister ’seedlings’ of Concord. I can’t tell them apart, and don’t remember the names. I had mixed results with Leon Millot/et and Foch. I’ve also used Chelois, and wasn’t very happy with my results, but others have used it successfully. I’ve also had mixed results with Vincent and Chancellor. Vincent was used for dye and pigments (paint/ink) by Taylor during the great reseach years. There are several barns which were ‘painted’ using Vincent juice. Several wineries make very nice Chancellor wines. I’ve had very good luck with Rougeon as well. I’ve also had very good luck with Baco, but high acid is a common problem with that variety. I think all these reds are more sensitive to handling than other varieties. Share what you know. Learn what you don’t.
Response:
I have found a local farmer that has 19 varieties of grape on his property. He does pick your own $.60 to .70 a lb. Half is planted to varieties of Concord, the rest is a mixed bag of grapes. People primarily pick for table and cooking jams or jellies. Where would I find a list of grapes that would indicate something that would be worth making wine without being ridiculously foxy. Michael
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