Marquette (grape)

Marquette is a red grape variety. It was founded in 1989 by Peter Hemstad and Jim Luby from the varieties MN 1094 x Ravat 262 ( also called Ravat Noir ) crossed. Hemstad and Luby are employees of the University of Minnesota, at the earlier Elmer Swenson worked. Since 2006 the variety for commercial cultivation is released. Was named the varietal after the French Jesuit explorer Jacques Marquette.

MN1094 is already a complex intersection of (Vitis riparia clone 64 Carmine x ) x ( x Mandan Landot 4511 ) and also the variety Ravat Noir came in 5 steps from breeding Seibel 8365 x Pinot Noir.

Marquette is one of the varietals Frontenac, Frontenac Gris and La Crescent to now 4 patented varieties that are used in cold climate viticulture of the U.S. Northeast and Canada. Plantings are known in the American states of Montana ( Viticulture in Montana), South Dakota ( Viticulture in South Dakota), Vermont ( Viticulture in Vermont) and Minnesota ( Viticulture in Minnesota). In Canada, you will find the variety in Quebec. Even in cold Weinbauklimata developed the variety high must weights of up to 25 degrees Brix, which corresponds to about 100 degrees Oechsle. In warm years, this figure increased only marginally. The alcohol-rich wines are rich in acid and should undergo a malolactic fermentation.

The staff of the university were looking for earlier maturing and hardy varieties that are suitable for the northern United States. Marquette is up to at least -30 degrees Fahrenheit ( - 35 degrees Celsius ) hardy. Since the roots are less hardy, the variety should be protected by a sufficiently high snow cover on the ground.

See also the article viticulture and winemaking in Canada in the United States and the list of grape varieties.