Posted on 07/10/2006 7:57:44 PM PDT by Fractal Trader
"...and then there is the ever growing number of hybrid grapes being created in genetic breeding programs to allow for grape production in places like Minnesota and even Canada."
My FIL & I grow the very unglamorous Concord Grape here in southern Wisconsin. Our crops have been phenominal these past few seasons, with the proper care. We have more grape jelly, more grape juice for drinking and more wine than we know what to do with each season. (Well, of course we know what to do with the wine, LOL!)
And I'm pretty sure that people that make a living off of growing grapes, versus just the home grower, know a helluvalot more about it than we do, LOL!
And the roses coming out of Canada are fan-tastic. I've never been able to grow roses before, but my New Dawn on Canadian stock is just a great performer, even without the needed snowcover our slightly less snowy winters have been handing out these past few years.
Yes, the Earth may be heating up; there's a cycle of heating and cooling, but I refuse to believe it's caused by Man. We are insignificant ticks on Mother Earth's back. She can flick us off whenever she feels like it. :)
All this Global Warming Hooey is more liberal projection replacing God and Nature with Man as being all-powerful. They are in for one rude awakening on this issue, as they are on any of their other lame projections.
One of the keys to good wine, is good grapes (duh!), one of the keys to good grapes is growing them as far north as possible where they will still ripen often enough to be economically produced. Two of the northern most producers of fine wines are Germany and France. Now look at the record:
Germany:
2001 to 2004 -- Four consecutive years of vintages rated above 90 (Wine spectator)
1988- 2000: 12 vintages, only four of which were rated above 90.
France (Bordeaux)
1995 to 2005 -- Four vintages rated 95+ (Three of which are after 2000). Yes, I am including 2005, which may be premature)
1961 to 1994 -- 34 vintages of which only 5 scored 95+
As 'global warming' continues, we can look for this trend to also continue which will give us more high quality wine and lower prices! (due to the glut)
Let us now swoon and abandon all hope...
I agree..and for the record I own five acres of grapes in Northwestern Wisconsin(I live in Minnesota)..growing wine grapes like Frontenac, Foch, La Crescent, Front Gris and Marquette.
I personally am all in favor of the warming trend...and when it almost certainly cools off..I wont go whining that its all man's fault.
Wine drinkers are already on the global warming train. They're preaching to the choir.
If they're fishing for converts, they should've wrote the story about beer.
Interesting that you should say that, Global cooling starting in the 14th century killed European grapes causing the switch to drinking beer made from hearty grains. When Europeans migrated to America the climate was still too adverse to grow Grapes so the colonists stuck with beer and whiskey.
Interesting. Thanks.
Please, NO! Not the wine!!
5 acres of grapes sounds wonderful! :)
Extra wide 4:40 PM grin!!!
So you're saying in 50 years we might see "Alaska Wine" printed on a wine bottle?
;-)
It damn well better be 95+ or all those saps who bought Bordeaux futures at $500+ per bottle will be the biggest chumps ever.
-ccm
Already done:
I believe that wine is made in all fifty states.
Count me as one of those saps (though at less then that price, per case!), I am about to place my future orders! I am hoping for at least a 98!
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