FARGO, N.D. -- Greg Krieger, president of the North Dakota Grape Growers Association, says this is an exciting time for growth in the fledgling vineyard-winery industry in North Dakota. Some of the developments:
- An Upper Midwest Consortium is looking at pooling resources to have an advertising-marketing campaign for cold-climate wines.
The Midwest Grape and Wine Industry Institute at Iowa State University in Ames has asked to study existing and new wine grapes from the area, as well as conducting advanced wine-making classes for professionals.
- Harlene Hatterman-Valenti, a North Dakota State University high-value crop specialist, continues to do varietal screenings and is studying whether grow tubes and trellis designs could benefit production. David Dai, NDSU horticulture professor and woody plant breeder, is one who may be able to make some of these crosses.
State grape growers are working to educate hobbyists and potential winery owners on how to make wine with grapes. The basics involve knowledge of sugar content, pH and things like "titratable acidity and malo-lactic fermentation."
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NDSU in mid-October allowed 15 volunteers to take grape samples to get experience making wine and altering the process by manipulating such things as yeast strain or skin contact.
