Wine grape growers are faced with weather conditions that make grape selection for vineyards crucial. Growers simply cannot plant Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay and hope for the best. Fortunately several universities around the world create new hybrid grapes that have promising results in vineyards.

Cornell University at their Geneva, New York Agricultural Experiment Station developed a hybrid grape called Noiret that we are beginning to see in our travels. The grape produces a red wine that we tasted at Presque Isle Wine Cellars in North East, Pennsylvania and recently tasted the grape in a dessert wine produced by Raven’s Glenn Winery & Restaurant in West Lafayette, Ohio.

The Presque Isle Wine Cellars Noiret 2007, was a dark opaque purple. There was a pepper and spice aroma. The taste was smooth with black fruit and pepper. The finish had pepper with mild tannins. At Raven’s Glenn Winery, Noiret is used to make a Port-styled dessert wine called Scarlet Raven. It did not have the peppery tastes common with this grape. There was a dark berry jam fruit on the aroma and taste. There was no heat on this 20% alcohol dessert wine. Although sweet, there was enough acid on the finish to cut the sweetness.

If searching for wines made from Noiret also search for the spelling Noriet and NY73. This hybrid grape was created from a cross of the grape created by crossing NY33277 and Chancellor and then taking that grape and crossing with Steuben.

Cheers,

Terry