Indiana Wine Grape Growers See Fruitful Season
(photo courtesy of River City Winery)
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowA professor of horticulture at Purdue University says wine grape growers throughout the state have yielded positive results in a difficult season. Bruce Bordelon says a cold winter and rainy ripening period did not deter Indiana growers, who had a productive harvest with high fruit quality.
Bordelon said this years results are a "testament to our growers that they can succeed in a difficult year such as this one." He says some growers had to deal with the persistent threat of diseases and pests, as well as various types of rot.
Gary Humphrey, owner of River City Winery in New Albany, tells the university that while the rainy weather offset the typical harvesting time, it had little impact on his overall crop.
"Not only did we see increased yields but the hot early summer brought us good ripening with intense fruit flavor," Humphrey said. "Late summer rains hampered much of the harvest season but we were able to get our fruit out of the vineyard with very little damage."
Purdue says as the the Hoosier wine industry continues to expand, which has led to growth in expertise and resources being shared throughout the state. Bordelon adds growers are learning how to better mitigate threats each year.