Grapevine Hybridization Procedures Using Grape Flowers

I walked the vineyards at Nuyaka Creek Winery this weekend. The Merlot and Leon Millot vines were just about to bloom and it was a spectacular day to spend in the country. Since the grapes are nearly in flower, I thought it would be a good time to point out an excellent article on Cornell University's website.

Read the article below to gain an almost 'Bee-like' knowledge of grape flower pollenization.

The earliest varieties were propagated from choice wild seedlings, the products of chance crosses between vines. The process of breeding, however, goes one step further, by controlling pollination and choosing which varieties will act as parents for seed production. Parents must be carefully chosen based on the traits desired in the progeny, and what might already be known about a parent's ability to impart those desired traits to its seedlings. The purpose of this web site is to explain the technology of grape hybridization once parental vines have been identified.

Once you have created your own Super Wine Grape drop us a line here at Oklahoma Wine News. We'll try and spread the word.

Grape Breeding Procedures