Invest in Nova Scotia Wines

"On average, there is a five degree difference in the temperature from the top of the vineyard to the bottom."

The Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture and AgraPoint, the Nova Scotia Agricultural College's research and development arm have amassed a great deal of information on grape and berry growing in Nova Scotia. The most recent source is the Department of Agriculture's Business Planning and Economics of Wine Grape Production in Nova Scotia.

Business Planning and Economics of Wine Grape Production

 

AgraPoint has produced documents that are helpful in understanding the grape growing side of the business including: An Introduction to Grape Growing In Nova Scotia. AgraPoint also conducts research on wind patterns and gathers climate data.

Two books on grape growing in Nova Scotia, The Tangled Vine: Winegrowing in Nova Scotia and Wamboldt's Nova Scotia Winegrowers' Guide are available from the Nova Scotia Grape Growers Association.

Below is a quick outline of planting courtesy of Agrapoint.

Six Steps to Great Grapes in Nova Scotia

Choosing the site
Nova Scotia has a long and rich tradition of growing grapes. To be successful, you need at least 150 frost free days annually, an annual temperature that stays above minus 26 Celsius, sloped terrain and well drained soil. You also need more than 900 heat units per growing season so that the fruit will ripen. Sunny south facing slopes and proximity to a large body of water than doesn't freeze are also a must. Nova Scotia has all these but beware of typically foggy areas which can impact the heat units and cause mold and mildew.

Buying the plants
The lineage or origin of your plants can be as important as the lineage of your family. So choose your plants carefully.

Once you've comfortable that your site has potential to produce great grapes, you need to get some plants. The Nova Scotia climate is best suited for hardy, French Hybrids such as L'Acadie Blanc or New York Muscat. There are several people in Nova Scotia who specialize in growing vine stock to sell to the grape growers. Orders should be placed in the spring of the year prior to planting. The Grape Growers Association can help direct your inquiries.

Preparing the soil
Our soil tends to have a low pH and low levels of phosphorous (P) and potassium (K), both of which are essential to successful grape growing. The most efficient way to amend the soil is prior to planting. Adding lime will increase the pH level and there are several fertilizer options for increasing the P and K levels. This takes time, combined with plowing and harrowing. Amending the soil should take place one year prior to planting in conjunction with proper soil testing. Testing kits are available from The Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture. You must also pay attention to the drainage and install any draining tiles before planting.

Planting the vines
May, prior to bud break, is the best time for planting. Locally produced own-rooted vines are generally dormant, bare-root stock. They are grown the previous season and kept in cold storage over the winter. They should be kept cool and moist until planted. Vine rows are oriented north to south to ensure good sun exposure and are planted about three metres apart. Plant spacing within the rows varies but typically ranges from 90 to 120 cms. Planting depth also varies but should be deep enough to accommodate a well anchored plant. After a few weeks, one or two strong shoots are selected and the rest are removed. The surviving shoots are tied to a training stake.

The three year plan
Vines typically don't produce grapes until their third year and aren't truly considered mature until their fifth. During the first year your focus will be on installing trellis (for vine support) and controlling weeds and diseases. The goal in year one is to produce 1-2 strong, healthy shoots and a well developed root system. In year two, the focus is on heavy pruning both of the buds (leaving only 1 or 2) and of suckers from the lower part of the trunk. Disease and weed control are ongoing priorities. In the spring of year three, two healthy canes coming from the trunk are selected and all others removed. The canes are cut and then bent on rotation around the bottom wire of the trellis and the tip tied. As the buds begin to grow, the shoots that develop are worked around the trellis wire to improve air and light. Only 12 -15 leaves are needed to ripen the fruit.

Harvest time
When the grapes are deemed ripe, they are ready for picking. The easiest way to determine ripeness is to measure the Brix (sugar level). You should target a minimum of 18 Brix before harvest (which will make a 9% alcohol wine) – a slightly higher Brix would be even better. For late season varieties, as long as the leaves are green and the sun is shining the ripening continues.