The University of Minnesota has released a new cold-hardy grape that will be utilized for making white wines.
Officials said the wine grape was named “Itasca,” to make dry white wines Malaysia and it'll be utilized. The grape has a reduced acidity and high sugar levels.
When the cross for the grape was created from two parent grapes, study on the grape began in 2002. By 2009, researchers began experimenting with making it into wine.
Breeder Matt Clark says it’s been a procedure that’s required plenty of patience.
“ We’ve given a name, applied for a patent to it and have licensed nurseries who are propagating this for us so that growers can start putting it ,” he said.
Itasca grapes has smells of pear, quince, violet, melon, minerals as well as a light touch of honey and will make a wine that is light yellow to endeavor in color, researchers say.
“It’s a huge deal,” Clark said. “Itasca is going to change the landscape for grape growers and wine growers throughout the state and over the region.”
It joins four other grapes that have been created by the U of M, including Marquette, Frontenac Gris, La Crescent and Frontenac. Cultivators also succeeded in growing a grape that’s highly resistant to pests and disease.
After the long process of finding the grape to this point, wine lovers will need to be patient. Itasca wo’t be on shop shelves for at least five years.
“Those vines get trained on the trellis, need to grow and wo’t fruit for perhaps three or four years,” Clark said.
The U of M has 3,260 acres of cold-hardy grapes being developed for wine.
