an essay by Hans Peter Pfeifer, Euro Rootstock & Grapevines, Harrow, Ontario, Canada
If the number of articles concerning a certain topic can be considered a measure of its importance, then the disease tolerant varieties are a hot topic in Europe. Between 1995 and 1998 there were 7 articles on the topic in the Annual Viticultural Yearbook , which is a summary of the most interesting articles of one year in German speaking Europe.
The views of the articles range from a discussion of certain varieties to wine marketing possibilities, from the potential for IPM or organic practices to political and legal questions for the grape growers. It became quite obvious that there are two main views at work, one the Swiss View and the EU- View from Germany.
The first trials on a larger scale with hybrids started as early as 1983 in Switzerland, where a major goal was to find varieties that make growing more environmentally friendly but still produce wine that will be accepted by the customers as very "vinifera". Due to the very strict environmental laws in agriculture and a regulating body in place to govern the use of pesticides and fertilizers, the view about those varieties was more down the line of " let the customers decide."
In the EU a decision was made that new varieties have to be very vinifera and all breedings before July 19, of 1970 were considered not acceptable. Varieties on trial have to be listed with the Bundessortenamt and their use is very limited and strictly regulated.Out of 12 varieties on trial so far two have made it to be considered fully vinifera and their wine can be made into QBA (quality-wine. All others on trial can be used only for table-wine; until a final decision about their vinifera-worthiness is made within the next 3-5 years.
table 1: List of varieties, their origin, parentage and where they are on trial
(varieties marked * are planted at Euro)
Variety Origin Parentage Trial Location
Staufer white Gf bacchus x villard blanc Ch + Germany
Sirius white* Gf bacchus x villard blanc Ch + Germany
Bianca white* Hung. villard blanc x bouvier Ch + Germany
Phoenix white* Gf bacchus x villard blanc Ch + Germany
Orion white Gf optima x villard blanc Ch + Germany
Merzlilng white Gf seyval blanc x (riesl x rul) Ch + Germany
Regent red* Gf diana x chambourcin Ch + Germany
Rondo red Gm sap.sever. x St. Laurent Germany
Hibernal white* Gm seibel 7053 x riesl 239 Germany
Primera white Gm seibel 7053 x riesl? Germany
Principal white Gm hibernal x ehrenfelser Germany
Serena white Gm sap. sev x (foster x rachttr.) Germany
Sibera white Gm sap.sev x (foster x prachttr.) Germany
table 2: old hybrids on trial in Switzerland only
Seyval Blanc white* seyve villard 5-276
Leon Millot red * Kuhlman 194.2
Marechal Foch red* Kuhlman 188.2
De Chaunac red Seibel 9549
Baco Noir red *
Looking at the parentage it becomes obvious just how much the different Research stations are hooked on certain parents for their breedings; Bacchus and Optima are both from the same parents ( {silvaner x riesling } x mueller-thurgau ) and Diana is a silvaner x mueller-thurgau crossing. Saperavi severmy is a crossing of frueher malinger x vitis amurensis. And the Gm 322-58 is now called Hibernal. Is there anything else going on besides those trials ??
A grape-breeder in Switzerland by the name of Valentin Blattner dares to go a different route, by crossing vinifera varieties with other subspecies. He has done some very exciting work in New Zealand and in the early summer of 1997 some of his breeding work, grown from grape-seeds, was planted at the Euro farm in Harrow. In the fall of 1998 those seedlings were evaluated and a decision was made to multiply some very promising ones in the Euro Laboratory in British Columbia. Hopefully we will be able to add some more new varieties to the discussion list within a few years.
So now what does that mean for us in the cold- climate of North-America ?
Those new varieties seem to be more disease tolerant than the viniferas and spraying has been reduced by varying degrees.The author thought it to be a rumor, but in 1998 one Regent planting in the Pfalz, Germany, was not sprayed at all and yet the crop was used to make wine! The trials in Switzerland were planted purposely in areas with high mildew pressure to really put the plants to the test and after several years the following varieties remain at one site: Orion, Phoenix, Seyval, Bianca, Leon Millot, M.Foch, De Chaunac, Baco and Regent.
For our climate, especially in the humid southwest of Ontario, we will have to find out for ourselves. The plan for the '99 spray season at the Euro farm in Harrow will be an attempt to reduce the number of sprays and/or the use of pesticides
(Besides the varieties mentioned in the table 1 and 2 there are also Gm 311, Gm318 and Gm 324 planted in Harrow).
Hopefully a reduction of sprays per season or reduced use or no use at all of those modern chemicals will make those varieties even interesting for organic growing in Essex county.
Another benefit of the varieties is their better winter hardiness compared to the true viniferas. Due to some hard frost towards the end of the winter of 1998/99 we can take a close look, too. ( Within two weeks in February and January the low temperatures went down to -20.2 and 23.3 degrees Celsius )
On the downside some of the Gf -varieties are reported to be somewhat fragile, when it comes to harvesting. Especially after rains shortly before harvesting time the grapes seem to rot easily. But we will find more out about as we continue to harvest. 1998 was not a problem, the crop came in in good shape and with good brix-levels (Gm 311, 318, 322, 324, Regent, Bianca, Sirius).
There is a very powerfully growing trend within viticulture to shift to a more environmentally conscious approach . On the one side are Laws and Regulations that impact the pesticide-use, on another side are customers and neighbors that are more and more wary about residues and pollution and thirdly the costs are playing an increasing role, too.
One article painted the following picture :
The first level is the integrated production, where the existing laws and regulations govern the use of pesticides and fertilizers.
The next level is called environmental conscious, with voluntary reduction of chemicals or even a ban of certain products ( especially insecticides and herbicides). The N-Min. approach is favoured and open ground is not considered a very good approach.
The last level is the oecological or organic growing, with a ban on all synthetic chemicals and soluble fertilizers.
The prediction was that sooner or later a shifting process will take place away from the integrated production, be it because the laws will get tougher, or the customers and producers are becoming more conscious or the costs will increase. Trials on the existing varieties, continuous research and breeding and the exploration of new or alternative methods will guide a way into the future. And hopefully some of the varieties will perform so well that they can be grown in organic vineyards in Southwest Ontario, which will definitively add to the flair of the region.
In conclusion, the author would like to loosely translate the end of one of the articles:
"Through the application of the principles of democracy , - Liberty, Equality and Fraternity- new varieties should be given the chance to be evaluated without prejudice, and the wine of of those varieties should be presented to the consumer in the same fashion for the ultimate approval. "
Literature:
deutsches Weinbaujahrbuch 1995 , page 81; page195
deutsches Weinbaujahrbuch 1996 ,page 147
deutsches Weinbaujahrbuch 1997 ,page 27 ; page 105 ;page 115
deutsches Weinbaujahrbuch 1998 ,page 125
for many more articles and interesting items please visit the homepage of
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