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Red Wine Grapes

The following is a description of some of the bearing red wine grapes grown at the Sugar River Vineyard.

Juice parameters and harvest dates are given for past years as general indicators of the vines performance. Each year gives different values, depending on the summer weather, disease pressure and insect or bird predation. When "no crop" is indicated, the majority of that years crop was lost to birds.

Varieties

Baco Noir

Baco Noir is a red wine grape that is only moderately productive in the Sugar River vineyard. The vine itself is fairly winter hardy, but pushes its buds early in the spring, making it prone to damage by late spring frosts which occur on a regular basis in the vineyard. It makes a delicious Burgandy style wine. Production of these grapes is further limited because it is necessary let the grapes hang as long as possible to ripen fully. A late season rain will cause berry splitting followed by insect damage which can ruin or significantly reduce the crop. TA values on this variety are high and by necessity, the fruit is usually harvested before the TA values are below 1.0.

Leon Millot

Also known as Kuhlman 194-2, Leon Millot makes an excellent red wine.Unfortunately, it is very attractive to birds and special steps must be taken to preserve the crop.

De Chaunac

Foch

Foch or Marechal Foch, also known as Kuhlman 188-2, is the "work horse" grape for wine making in this area. The grapes from this vine make an excellent wine, but, like its relative Leon Millot, it is attractive to birds.