Growing Wine Grapes in Connecticut
Plant Science Day 2000 Short Talk
Dr. Richard Kiyomoto
Department of Forestry and Horticulture
The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station
123 Huntington Street, P.O. Box 1106
New Haven, CT 06504
Phone: (203) 974-8491
Fax: (203) 974-8502
This talk will not be a how to grow grapes which were topics touched upon in previous talks I have given on Plant Science Day. I would like to focus upon some important items to ponder before embarking on growing grapes for wine in Connecticut. I realize that I am talking to both the home gardener and some potential commercial grape growers and people in between. Much of the aim is toward the commercial grower, but economics involved apply also to the home gardener. Below is an outline of items that will be touched upon in this talk.
What are your goals?
- Commercial.
- Limited commercial/hobbyist.
- Production for home use.
What types of wines? Or what market are you aiming for?
- Premium.
- Mass Market.
- Home use.
What approach do you want to take to growing the grapes?
- Organic.
- Ecological.
- Integrated Pest Management (IPM).
- "By The Calendar/Clock"
Before you plant carefully consider these factors:
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Site Selection.
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Cultivar Selection.
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Soil Preparation.
Short discussion will address the above considerations. Experimental results from Experiment Station wine grape cultivar trials will be used to illustrate direct these considerations.
Illustration of Per Acre Cost of Establishment.
| State | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Cumulative |
| NY | $6,847 | $1,892 | $2,784 | $11,523 (-$1,668) |
| VA | $6,801 | $1,676 | $3,107 | $11,584 (-$3,250) |
| VA | $5,645 | $1,477 | $2,696 | $9,818 (-$2,300) |
| MD | $4,290 | $1,650 | $1,915 | $7,855 (-$600) |
Major diseases to contend with:
Black Rot (BR)
Downy Mildew (DM)
Powdery Mildew (PM)
Botrytis (BOT)
Phomopsis (PHOM)
Fungicides:
Sulfur (S)
Copper (Cu)
Cultivar resistance to major diseases and sensitivity to fungicides.
| BR | DM | PM | BOT | PHOM | S | Cu | |
| VINIFERA | |||||||
| Chardonnay | Med | High | High | High | High | Low | Med |
| Riesling | High | High | High | High | Med | Low | Med |
| Cab. Franc | High | High | High | Low | ? | Low | ? |
| Merlot | Med | High | High | Med | Low | Low | Med |
| BR | DM | PM | BOT | PHOM | S | Cu | |
| FRENCH HYBRID | |||||||
| Seyval | Med | Med | High | High | Med | Low | Med |
| Vidal | Low | Med | High | Low | Low | Low | Med |
| Foch | Med | Low | Med | Low | ? | High | ? |
| Chambourcin | High | Med | Low | Med | ? | High | ? |
| BR | DM | PM | BOT | PHOM | S | Cu | |
| AMERICAN x FRENCH HYBRID | |||||||
| Cayuga White | Low | Med | Low | Low | Low | Low | Med |
| BR | DM | PM | BOT | PHOM | S | Cu | |
| NATIVE (AMERICAN) | |||||||
| Concord | High | Low | Med | Low | High | High | Med |
| Niagara | High | High | Med | Low | High | Low | Low |