| Soil,
microclimate, geography – all play a key role in producing
a good bottle of wine, as does the winemaking process itself.
But the most important element of winemaking is the grape
itself, and the family of vines to which it belongs. In Ontario,
we grow more than 50 different varieties of wine grapes. The
following are the largest commercial sellers.
European
Hybrids
WHITE HYBRIDS
Seyval
Blanc
This
cultivar is also known by its selection number of SV-5276
as bred by Bertille Seyve. It was first planted in Ontario
in 1951. This white cultivar has large conical clusters with
medium-sized berries that take on a bronze hue as they ripen.
This cultivar ripens in late September and has a moderately
vigorous upright growth characteristic. One of its identifiable
traits is the shiny leaves that appear to fold upward and
the prominent teeth on the leaf margins. It is prone to mildew
infection and bunch rot under wet or highly humid conditions.
Vidal
 This
is one of the most widely planted hybrids in all of Ontario.
It has a multitude of uses as a table wine, a late harvest
wine and Icewine. It has a long growing season with harvest,
most years, in mid to late October or later. The clusters
are large with a conical shape and medium sized berries. It
has tendency to carry a large crop and can benefit from crop
thinning in years with excessive fruit set. The fruit is thick-skinned
and the bunches hang well. The fruit has a relatively neutral
flavour and maintains its acid levels late into the year,
making it a great cultivar for Icewine production.
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RED HYBRIDS
Baco
Noir
This
cultivar was bred by Francois Baco and released in 1902. Baco
Noir is the first cultivar to begin growing in the spring
in Ontario. This early bud break leaves it prone to late spring
frost injury. It grows vigorously, producing a large canopy
that is sprawling. It has a tight cylindrical cluster with
small berries and some juice pigmentation. The vines are capable
of carrying a large crop and are fruitful on a wide variety
of soil types and locations. It is prone to injury from the
leaf-feeding form of phylloxera. In Ontario, this cultivar
ripens in early September.
Chambourcin
This
vine is beginning to be planted across Ontario. It is moderately
cold hardy and possesses long cylindrical clusters that remain
loose. The berries are blue in colour, medium size and produce
a neutral-flavoured juice. The cluster shape reduces the incidence
of fruit rots, though the vine has a tendency to over crop
if left unchecked. It ripens late in the season in mid October
or later, depending on the location.
Marechal
Foch
An early-ripening
grape, Marechal Foch matures in late August and early September.
It has a small berry in a compact medium sized bunch that
is tight and cylindrical in shape. The fruit produces a pigmented
juice and has a noticeable herbaceous flavour. The vines can
be vigorous and display a drooping character while growing.
It is prone to infestation by the leaf-feeding form of phylloxera.
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Vitis
vinifera
WHITE VINIFERA
Auxerois
This
is another recent addition to Ontario production that is gaining
consumer acceptance. This cultivar has moderate growth with
medium size clusters that are conical with shoulder or winged
shapes. It produces a neutral juice that can have floral and
fruit tones. It is harvested in mid to late September.
Chardonnay
 The
most widely planted vinifera cultivar in Ontario. It displays
a moderately high vigor depending on the location and has
an upright growth habit. It is reasonably cold hardy and matures
in late September. The clusters are medium size, possessing
a conical shape with a shoulder. Berries are round with a
neutral flavour and the skin achieves a golden hue as the
berries ripen. It is prone to powdery mildew and bunch rot.
In Ontario, there are many clones of Chardonnay that provide
a diverse flavour profile. A particular clone 77F is known
as the Muscat clone that makes the wine known as Chardonnay
Musque.
Gewürztraminer
 Under
Ontario conditions, this cultivar is widely recognized for
its compact growth and dense canopies. The spicy flavours
of the berries are also a key identifying feature. The clusters
are small, conical and have berries with pink to light red
skins. The juice has a spicy or lychee nut flavour. The dense
canopies with multiple leaf layers can lead to disease problems
if not properly managed. This cultivar usually ripens in late
September.
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Pinot
Gris
This
cultivar also goes by the name of Pinot Grigio or the “grey
pinot.” Similar to the other pinot grapes (pinot blanc,
pinot noir), this cultivar is distinguished by the colour
of its fruit. It produces small round berries that have a
light red or pinkish colour in the skin. Due to its close
parentage with the others, sometimes the berries will revert
and produce green fruit or split colour with half the berry
pink and the other half green on the same cluster. The clusters
are small and cylindrical beneath a moderately shaded canopy.
This cultivar can carry a moderate crop load and benefits
from canopy management and shoot positioning. It ripens in
late September.
Pinot
Blanc
Another
in the pinot grouping that is sometimes referred to as “white”
pinot noir. Berries are medium size and green in colour. The
clusters are well filled to tight, conical in shape with a
shoulder and medium size. It produces a juice of neutral flavour
with crisp tones and is usually harvested in late September.
Riesling
 An
aromatic white cultivar that was one of the first viniferas
planted commercially in Ontario. This grape has proven very
versatile, being harvested at multiple times for different
wine styles as a table wine, late harvest or Icewine. Depending
on the site, Riesling can be moderately vigorous and benefits
from training in the half bow or pendelbogen system to get
vine fruitfulness. Crop load and canopy management also helps
this cultivar. It is susceptible to mildew and, more recently,
Erineum mites, but these are not a serious pest. Clusters
are medium size with round green berries having a floral flavour.
Depending on the winemaker preference, this cultivar can be
harvested from late September through mid to late October
for table wine. Hanging the grapes until January has commonly
been practiced with netting (to prevent loss to hungry birds)
to make Icewine.
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Semillon
Another
recent introduction to Ontario for commercial production,
this grape is best known from warmer climates. It produces
large clusters with medium to large berries that attain a
golden hue when ripe. It can over crop and benefits from good
vine management practices such as shoot positioning and crop
load balancing/thinning. There are few commercial plantings
but those with this grape indicate it appears to ripen in
early October.
Sauvignon
Blanc
An extremely
precocious and vigorous cultivar in Ontario, even on sites
of low vigor potential. It is somewhat winter sensitive but
fruitful on secondary buds. Its growth habit leads to dense
canopies and subsequent fruit rot at harvest if left unmanaged.
It ripens in late October and is known for its “ bell
pepper” taste and vegetal characteristics. Many other
regions of the world produce this cultivar with a great range
of aroma and flavour profiles. The fruit clusters are small
and tight with round green berries. The fresh juice is noted
for its vegetal or herbaceous flavours.
Viognier
Relatively
new to Ontario, this cultivar is proving a challenge to grow
as vines can display vigorous growth under good conditions
and small vines under less favourable conditions. It produces
a medium size cluster, conical in shape with a shoulder and
having small green/yellow berries that are often sweet but
may be low in acid balance. It ripens in early October.
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RED VINIFERA
Cabernet
Sauvignon
 This
is the latest maturing red vinifera in Ontario. The berries
are small, round and blue and produce an intense herbaceous
flavour. The clusters are medium in size, conical with a partial
shoulder and remain reasonably loose. The vines are easily
identified by the “Swiss cheese” appearance of
the leaves. This cultivar achieves its peak performance during
long, warm fall periods and is usually harvested in the latter
half of October
Cabernet
Franc
 The
most productive and cold hardy red vinifera. It ripens about
a week before Cabernet Sauvignon and can carry a crop load
to full maturity that is 20% greater. It has medium size clusters
that are conical and may have shoulders. The berries are blue,
medium size and produce a juice with an herbaceous flavour.
It is relatively tolerant of most diseases and is used as
a varietal table wine or blended with others to produce a
classic red wine.
Merlot
 This
cultivar is the most cold sensitive of the Bordeaux reds.
Similar to the Cabs, it has blue berries of medium size with
herbaceous flavours. It is best known for its velvet feel
on the tongue when made into wine. This vine must be balanced
for crop load and have a managed canopy to get optimum sunlight
and fruit quality. It ripens about the first week of October.
It is only recommended for planting in the best locations
to reduce threat of cold temperature injury.
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Zweigeltrebe
This
cultivar has found favour with some winemakers, especially
when blended with Gamay Noir. It is a large vine noted for
large leaves and medium-sized clusters of conical shape sometimes
having a shoulder. The berries are medium size with neutral
flavour and ripens in late September.
Gamay
Noir
 An
interesting grape in Ontario as it can produce brilliant grapes
one year and average grapes the following year. It has a tendency
to over crop and is greatly enhanced by selective cluster
thinning at veraison. The berries are blue, medium to large
and have a neutral flavour. The conical clusters can be medium
to large, which sometimes leads to uneven ripening of the
fruit. They must then be thinned to achieve peak quality.
It ripens in mid to late September.
Pinot
Noir
 Aptly
nicknamed the “heartbreak grape,” Pinot Noir has
the ability to dazzle in vintage years. Many clones exist
in commercial plantings, with the majority having small compact
clusters, some with shoulders and small berries. This configuration,
combined with a thin berry skin, can lead to complications
and breakdown if left unmanaged for canopy shading and cluster
exposure. Botrytis bunch rot can be a problem with this cultivar.
The need for fruit exposure is important, as skin colour can
be hard to achieve some years, leading to light-coloured wines.
The utility of this grape has been exploited to make sparkling
wine by doing a “green harvest” when the fruit
is still somewhat immature and acid levels remain high. Normally,
this cultivar is harvested in late September through early
October.
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Shiraz/Syrah
A very
recent addition to Ontario production, this cultivar produces
large oval berries as part of large, conical tight clusters.
It has a very long maturation cycle (maturing in October)
and there is still debate over the optimum time to harvest
for peak quality.
Wine
grape variety descriptions have been provided by Kevin Ker,
an internationally recognized specialist and educator in grape
and tender fruit production, and integrated pest management
(IPM). Kevin holds the position of Industrial Associate and
lecturer at the Cool Climate Oenology & Viticulture Institute
at Brock University in Niagara. He operates Ker Crop Management
Services, an independent consulting firm specializing in education,
training, advisory research and agricultural services.
Visit
Kevin’s web site at www.kcms.biz.
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