Ice wine
NDSU plant scientist searches for the perfect cold weather grape North Dakota State University (NDSU) researcher Harlene Hatterman-Valenti is leading the North Dakota Cold Hardy Grape Initiative, a germplasm enhancement program to develop grapes suitable for places like North Dakota, Montana, Manitoba, or Saskatchewan.
Due to the cold, harsh weather in the midwest, growing Vitis vinifera cultivars like Merlot or Chardonnay are impossible to grow in North Dakota. As a result, Hatterman-Valenti is focusing on inter-specific crosses that have a grape native to the region in their parentage. So far, the researchers have transplanted about 15,000 unique offspring, with only approximately 200 producing fruit for sensory evaluations.
24
