Summary

Enology and Viticulture Programs at Cornell help New York’s wine and grape industry by providing research-based technology and education that helps grow the industry. Over the last 30 years, enologists and viticulturists at Cornell have helped the NYS wine industry open 194 wineries, now located in eight viticultural regions across the state. The wine and grape industry contributes over $6B in gross sales to the NY economy.

The Issue

The Cornell Enology and Viticulture Programs provide information to the wine and grape industries which allows them to produce very high quality, internationally competitive wines. Further investment in research and education is needed to allow this industry to continue its growth. The NY and Northeastern US needs site-specific information generated at Cornell by programs in enology, viticulture and plant protection in order to be successful. Researchers provide answers to what cultivars can be grown, how to grow them, how to manage pests, soils, and water, how grapes should be managed to achieve desired flavor maturity, what wine flavor profile can be expected, and how consistent wine quality can be achieved. Research in the chemistry and biochemistry of grape flavor ripening and the translation of these grape flavors into wine flavors is being explored.

Response

Impacts

• Programs at Cornell have helped to identify key wine grape varieties for New York State and develop wines of unique and high quality from signature varieties like Chardonnay, Riesling, and, more recently, Cabernet Franc and Lemberger.
• Of the 53 grapes developed and released since 1906 by Cornell, six have been wine grapes. They include Cayuga White, Chardonel, Traminette, Melody, Horizon, and GR7.
• New projects linking plant physiology with flavor chemistry and grape genomics help growers and winemakers understand the processes of flavor maturation.
• On the wine processing side, enologists at Cornell study microorganisms and their physiological potential to direct flavor development during wine production.
• Problems and opportunities in the New York wine industry are explored in almost daily communication between members of the Cornell Enology Extension Program and grape growers and winemakers in NY. Research and industry members exchange information in close communication via personal visits and industry workshops.
• Wineries and vineyards offer unique opportunities for economic development in NY, from Long Island’s North Shore, to the Hudson Valley, to the Finger Lakes, to Lake Erie and the Niagara Escarpment. The wine industry in NY has grown from nine wineries in 1976 to 212 in 2006. New York wineries have experienced 10%-15% growth in each of the past 10 years.
• The retail value of all wine produced in New York is estimated to be $1.1 billion. More and more of the grape production is shifting from lower-value juice grapes to high-value wine grapes ( Concord grapes sell for $145 to $450 per ton, Riesling for $1,400 to $1,700 per ton).
• The number of wineries has grown, as has the number of employees employed in each winery. Current estimates are that 36,000 people are employed directly in the grape, grape juice, wine products and related industries.
• The wine industry has an enormous impact on the rural and state economy. With the growth in tourism (about 4.1 million visitors) and growth in associated service industries, the economic impact on the state is $6 Billion.
• With improved knowledge of grape cultivation and wine production, the industry will be able to expand wine grape plantings and produce more wines of distinct quality that can compete nationally and internationally.
• Grape growers and wine producers benefit directly from Cornell programs, and consumers and the service industry benefit indirectly.
• The wine and grape industry also maintains a very attractive cultural landscape with vineyards, open spaces, and forests (as part of the wine estates) that enhance the natural beauty of NY’s wine growing regions.
• New York is America’s #3 grape and wine producer.

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Contact

Dr. Thomas J. Burr

New York State Agricultural Experiment Station
630 W. North Street
Geneva, NY 14456

Phone: 315-787-2211
Email: tjb1@cornell.edu