Vine Cuttings
A couple of my unsuspecting new home owners received a few twigs this week. I’m sure it wasn’t the new house warming gift they were expecting. But once I explained that the twigs were cuttings of cool climate wine grape vines that could be grown in their very own new backyards I was let in the door.
If you live in the Puget Sound area and desire to grow nice wine grapes in your backyard you can! Believe it or not there are a number of nice varietals that do well in our cooler Puget Sound climate. Siegerrebe is one of them. It is a hardy cold climate grape great for growing in the Pacific Northwest. It makes a fabulous white wine that pairs well with the local fare of seafood, oysters, apples and pears. A late harvest Siegerrebe can be comparable to a Sauternes(not kidding)…when done well! And if all fails these grapes make fabulous table grapes that are a real treat to eat off of the vine.
Directions for Cuttings to Vines:
10-14″ long (from planted vines)
3-4 buds
Soak for 2 weeks in water
Start in pots or raised bed
Water and fertilize heavily
Bottom heat for a couple of weeks to start roots
Plant with 2″-3″ of vine showing with one bud showing.
Here is a list of wine grapes that grow well in a cooler climate:
White ~ Chardonnay, Chasselas, Gewurztraminer, Madeleine Angevine, Madeleine Sylvaner, Melon de Bourgnone, Muller-Thurgau, Pinot Gris, Siegerrebe
Red ~ Leon Millot, Marechal Foch, Pinot Noir , Regents
To learn more about and to get hands on experience growing wine grapes attend Hollywood Hill Vineyards 2010 cool climate grape growing class coming up February 21st.
Thanks for the cuttings Maureen. I can’t wait to plant them this spring.