Crop Yield, Fruit Quality, and Winter Injury of 12 Red-Fruited Wine Grape Cultivars in Northern Virginia

Abstract

‘Charbono’, ‘Fer’, ‘Limberger’, ‘Mourvèdre’, ‘Nebbiolo’, ‘Petit Verdot’, ‘Refosco’, ‘Sangiovese’, ‘Syrah’, ‘Tannat’, ‘Valdepeñsí, and clones FPMS #6 and #7 of ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ were evaluated at Winchester, Virginia for components of crop yield, fruit chemistry, and dormant bud cold hardiness over seven crop years. All cultivars were trained to bi-lateral cordons and spur-pruned, except that spurpruning and cane-pruning were compared with ‘Nebbiolo’ in the last four years. Based on consistent, high fruit quality, and on cold hardiness at least comparable to ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ the cultivars ‘Fer’, ‘Mourvèdre’, ‘Petit Verdot’, and ‘Tannat’ were recommended for commercial consideration in Virginia. Very high crops (± 10 kg/vine, or 12.8 t/ha) were achieved with ‘Charbono’, ‘Limberger’, ‘Refosco’, and ‘Sangiovese’, all of which were associated with large (> 2.0 g/berry) berries, and relatively dilute soluble solids concentration (SSC) and flavors. ‘Nebbiolo’ fruit averaged 23 °Brix, but fruit color intensity and flavors were mediocre. ‘Syrah’ and ‘Valdepeñas’ fruit quality were occasionally good, but not consistently so. All cultivars produced more vegetative growth (> 0.5 kg cane prunings per m of canopy) than desirable, and all would be considered cold-tender in northern Virginia.