Page 54 - Grapevine May-June 2019

Around The Vineyard

Here Come the Hybrids

By: Nan McCreary
W fruits, hybrid vegetables and even hybrid and North American vines, commonly Vitis labrusca
e hear a lot about hybrid cars, hybrid
from Vitis vinifera, a European wine grape species,
animals, but what about hybrid grapes?
wines so popular today, including Merlot, Cabernet
Traditionally, wines made from hybrid grapes have and Vitis riparia. Vitis vinifera is the source of noble
been a non-starter for wine lovers, but that’s about Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling
to change. As we prepare to enter a new decade, and Chardonnay. Vitis labrusca is widely distributed
more and more wine professionals are taking a across central and eastern Canada, and the central
second look at hybrids, and pioneering winemakers and northeastern part of the U.S. Vitis riparia origi-
and scientists are working to improve existing vari- nates in central and eastern Canada and the United
eties and introduce new ones. States, extending as far west as Montana. Grapes
from Vitis labrusca and Vitis riparia in their original
A Double-edged Vine form are rarely used for winemaking.

Hybrid grapes are the product of crossing breed- French-American hybrid wines were created as
ing two or more Vitis species. In the U.S., these a solution for Phylloxera which devastated the
grapes are cultivated by combining the rootstock vineyards of Europe in the mid-1800s. Because

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