GRAPE VARIETIES IN ONTARIO WINE REGIONS UNDERSTANDING THE POTENTIAL AND THE RISKS DECEMBER 2011 GRAPE VARIETIES IN ONTARIO WINE REGIONS UNDERSTANDING THE POTENTIAL AND THE RISKS SITE CONSIDERATIONS IN GROWING GRAPES CLIMATIC CONDITIONS ARE THE KEY CONSIDERATION IN GRAPE GROWING INCLUDING: Ώ Length of Growing Season GROWING GRAPES Ώ Heat Summation IN ONTARIO’S COOL CLIMATE Ώ Incidence of Frost Growing grapes in Ontario has some unique challenges but many are Ώ Winter Temperature Extremes no different than in other commercial wine growing regions. Ontario Designated Viticulture Areas (DVAs) generally experience adequate precipitation, Climatic risks and cultivar sensitivity for each individual location although rain during fruit maturation can result in fruit loss due to splitting, botrytis bunch need to be considered when assessing which wine grape to grow. rot, sour rot or insect-mediated volatile acidity problems, while inadequate growing season precipitation may lead to vine stress and as a consequence cause reduced yields, increased pest pressure and potentially compromise wine flavour and vine health. Soil is an important component of vineyard site selection but it is not as limiting as climate; grapevines can be grown successfully on many different soils. Soil texture, structure, depth and drainage will all influence vineyard production systems, with different management strategies required based on site soil characteristics. Where vine vigour potential is high, more vineyard inputs in terms of training systems, shoot positioning, hedging and other cultural practices are required. Pg.3 GRAPE VARIETIES IN ONTARIO WINE REGIONS UNDERSTANDING THE POTENTIAL AND THE RISKS A n excellent vineyard site would be one where the hazards of winter injury and frost damage (spring and/or fall) are minimal. An adequate site would be defined as being more prone to these risks. Many established vinifera plantings on good sites do not require much intervention during SITE the growing season or the dormant period, but plantings in more marginal vineyard sites require costly additional management. CHARACTERISTICS In general, sites of the highest quality have a long, warm growing season with limited winter Regional climatic conditions, vineyard site quality/potential, and injury risk and can support a wide range of cultivars. Sites with cool conditions and prone general cultivar characteristics determine the relative suitability/risk to winter injury are more limited in the choice of suitable cultivars. of establishing alternative cultivars at a given site. Sites where normal grape maturity coincides with the natural decline of Depending on site conditions, some vineyards may also have more associated costs due the growing season will result in the highest quality fruit. Site quality to excess vine vigour, high disease pressure, necessary crop level adjustment, frost/winter is more significant for winter tender and/or late season cultivars. protection, winter injury and other management/compensation strategies. In many vineyard sites, wind machines are used to mitigate critical minimum temperatures that may occur during the winter and help make a vineyard site more suitable for cold tender or frost prone cultivars. Marginal vineyard locations normally result in more costs, especially in extreme situations where winter injury is chronic and there is a need to bury canes and drastically reduce yields to ensure maturity. Pg.5 GRAPE VARIETIES IN ONTARIO WINE REGIONS UNDERSTANDING THE POTENTIAL AND THE RISKS M any vinifera cultivars that originated in traditional cool climate wine regions adapt well to our growing seasons and cold winters. Most vinifera varieties command higher prices than hybrid varieties. However, high crop value must be weighed against their generally CULTIVAR inferior cold hardiness and disease tolerance relative to hybrid varieties. Site selection SELECTION is still critical for vinifera, even if winter protection strategies are used (wind machines, The main limiting factor for profitable commercial wine grape burying canes or whole vines). production in Canada is vine cold hardiness. Cultivars that are Existing plantings of traditional cool climate cultivars such as Chardonnay and Riesling have selected must survive the winter months with no substantial winter injury, four seasons out of every five. Therefore cold hardiness of demonstrated success across Ontario. They have been both profitable and have achieved the chosen cultivar should match to the expected minimum winter international recognition for their wine quality. Many other cultivars can be grown with the temperatures of the site. same success both horticulturally and oenologically, but some will always be more difficult. These can only be grown successfully with excellent site conditions and rigourous viticultural practices. Certain cultivars will always be more expensive to grow than others (i.e. Pinot Noir) as they require more exacting management, especially in a less than desirable vineyard location, but they may command more value as a finished product. Pg.7 GRAPE VARIETIES IN ONTARIO WINE REGIONS UNDERSTANDING THE POTENTIAL AND THE RISKS Within the Niagara Peninsula there are 10 sub-appellations, with 5 identified climatic zones. Southwestern Ontario has two DVAs: Lake Erie North Shore, a large appellation with vineyards spanning the length of the northern Lake Erie shoreline, and Pelee Island. The newest appellation, Prince Edward County, with its shorter growing season and cold ONTARIO winters has different challenges growing many grape cultivars in comparison to the other DESIGNATED VITICULTURAL AREAS Ontario DVAs. In all appellations, alternative cultivars such as hybrids can help reduce many vineyard costs and limitations in yield potential. This is due to their superior cold ONTARIO HAS DEFINED FOUR DVAS: Niagara Peninsula, Lake Erie North Shore (LENS), Pelee Island and hardiness and disease resistance compared to their vinifera counterparts. However, they Prince Edward County (PEC). do not possess the same economic value and are more limited in terms of perceived wine quality and consumer acceptance. Some alternative cultivars, (both hybrid and vinifera) have been planted recently and there is limited acreage of Regent in LENS and Marquette, Frontenac and Traminette in PEC and cooler regions in Ontario. More tender cultivars such as Petit Verdot and Malbec are being tried in the more favoured areas of Ontario because of their unique marketing potential. In addition, there are many cultivars worldwide, both hybrid and vinifera, that may have great promise for premium grape and wine production in Ontario but more local research and experience is required before they can be planted with any confidence. Pg.9 GRAPE VARIETIES IN ONTARIO WINE REGIONS UNDERSTANDING THE POTENTIAL AND THE RISKS MATCHING CULTIVAR SENSITIVITY TO SITE NIAGARA PENINSULA Within the Niagara Peninsula, five general grape climatic zones were established by Wiebe and Anderson in 1977. Niagara Peninsula has been further defined into 10 sub-appellations: Creek Shores, Lincoln Lakeshore, Vinemount Ridge, Beamsville Bench, Short Hill Bench, Twenty Mile Bench, Four Mile Creek, Niagara Lakeshore, Niagara River and St David’s Bench. CLIMATIC ZONES IN NIAGARA ZONE A: Sites have cooler conditions due to the lake effect ZONES C & D: Most “Bench” sites in climatic zones C and which may result in higher risk of delayed fruit maturity for D have adequate cold air drainage but some sites may have a late season cultivars. However the growing season may also greater risk of winter injury requiring more protection. be slightly extended because of this effect. These lakeshore sites are generally more vigorous due to the presence of ZONE E: This area above the escarpment has the highest risk coarser soils but are also higher yielding. of winter injury due to cold mid-winter temperatures. This area also has the shortest growing season with highest risk ZONE B: Some sites that fall in the level plain between the of spring and/or fall frosts, effectively limiting tender and/ escarpment and Zone A may have higher winter injury risk or later maturing cultivars. More management impact costs due to lack of direct protection from Lake Ontario and limited would be associated with vinifera above the escarpment due air circulation. Many sites are on heavy, poorly drained soils, to the need for increased winter protection strategies. requiring skilled management but with lower yields. Pg.11 GRAPE VARIETIES IN ONTARIO WINE REGIONS UNDERSTANDING THE POTENTIAL AND THE RISKS Climate Profiles of the a b c Niagara Peninsula* Growing Degree Days Frost Free Days Cold Extremes Location of -20⁰C to Zone Average High Low Average High Low -25⁰C < -25⁰C Weather Station CLIMATE PROFILES Niagara Parkway A 1410 1644 1193 206 232 179 4/10 ** NIAGARA PENINSULA NOTL Lakeshore A 1413 1608 1228 213 233 180 2/10 ** Niagara College B 1440 1664 1231 213 232 186 3/10 ** Data from weather stations located throughout the Niagara Peninsula NOTL Virgil B 1433 1627 1255 199 232 165 4/10 2/10 provides a range of climatic factors throughout the sub-appelations Queenston B 1481 1707 1275 199 225 161 5/10 ** and grape climate zones identified in the area. West St. Catharines B 1383 1590 1176 190 209 161 6/10 2/10 Winona C 1408 1669 1217 192 215 156 4/10 2/10 Vineland (Cherry Ave) C/B 1363 1616 1176 200 210 179 4/10 1/10 Beamsville D 1422 1664 1212 217 232 199 3/10 ** Vineland Escarpment D 1396 1628 1190 216 199 233 4/10 ** Jordan Zone D/C 1433 1664 1228 211 232 179 4/10 ** Grimsby E 1273 1509 1097 175 201 158 6/10 4/10 Jordan Escarpment E 1374 1574 1161 202 234 161 6/10 2/10 * Data courtesy of Weather Innovations Incorporated (1995-2010) a Sum of (mean daily temperature -10˚C), April 01 to October 31, 1995-2010 b Consecutive days greater than -2˚C as per Environment Canada definition c Actual occurrence during 1995-2010 except ** Not recorded within 1995-2010 time frame Pg.13 GRAPE VARIETIES IN ONTARIO WINE REGIONS UNDERSTANDING THE POTENTIAL AND THE RISKS Pelee Island and sites closest to Lake Erie benefit from an extended growing season.