Growwine Members Biographies
New Brunswick
Peter has been experimenting with about 40 white and 20 red wine, as well as 10 table grape varieties in the Nashwaak River Valley north of Fredericton. He started in 1995 with hybrids and vinifera crosses from Europe. These were buried each winter to protect them from -35oC conditions (often with little snow cover). Winter protection for tender varieties has changed to the less labour intensive covering of laid down canes with dry leaves topped by a piece of horticultural foam plastic (ASTROFOAM) whose edges are anchored with soil. Peter now aims to acquire primarily early ripening, winter hardy and disease resistant varieties, that can be blended to make decent wines.
Vines from the breeding work in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Quebec, Nova Scotia and the Baltic have proved to be good candidates. Each year he usually digs up and eliminates several varieties based on their poor winter hardiness, susceptibility to mildew or late ripening. The goal is to have a final selection of winterhardy, disease resistant early ripening grapes established by 2005.
Look at Peter's: A New Climate Index for Grape Growing in Short Season Areas or
Peter's List of Hardy Vine Varieties for Sale.
Peter Salonius
www.littlefatwino.com