MSU Vineyard
MSU's experimental vineyard, located at the MSU Horticulture Farm west of Bozeman, was established to trial cold-hardy grape varieties. It was planted in 2010 with canes from the USDA grape germplasm collection in Geneva, New York, and contains 19 varieties of cold-hardy grapes. All vines are on their own rootstock.
Grape Varieties
The grape varieties included in the MSU vineyard are listed below, along with information on berry color and the typical use for each variety. USDA hardiness ratings are based on the average minimum temperature that the plant can withstand. The Bozeman area is rated Zone 4, which means that the average annual minimum winter temperature is -20 to -25 degrees Fahrenheit. Lower hardiness ratings mean that plants are more cold-hardy. For more information on plant hardiness, visit the USDA's hardiness zone website.
Variety |
Berry Color |
Use |
USDA Hardiness |
| Beta | Black | Juice | 3 |
| Kay Gray | White | Table | 3 |
| St. Croix | Red | Wine | 3 |
| Valiant | Black | Juice | 3 |
| Bluebell | Black | Juice | 3 |
| Elvira | White | Wine | 3 |
| Worden | Black | Table | 4 |
| Concord | Black | Juice | 4 |
| Edelweiss | White | Wine | 4 |
| Maréchal Foch | Black | Wine | 4 |
| Fredonia | Black | Juice | 4 |
| St. Pepin | White | Wine | 4 |
| Swenson Red | Red | Table | 4 |
| Van Buren | Black | Table | 4 |
| Aurore | White | Wine | 5 |
| De Chaunac | Black | Wine | 5 |
| Seyval Blanc | White | Wine | 5 |
| Vignoles | White | Wine | 5 |
| Vanessa | Red | Table | 5 |
Observations
There are currently no active research projects in the vineyard, but vines are being maintained and some general information from the past four growing seasons is listed below. Data points tracked include leaf break on vines, bloom date, veraison (when the grapes start to ripen), harvest date and yields, and Brix content of berries at harvest. Brix content, measured in degrees Brix (°Bx), is the measure of sugar content in berry juice.
MSU's Western Agricultural Research Center, located in Corvallis, has also done extensive research on cold-hardy grapes in western Montana. Many of the varieties found at the Horticulture Farm are also included in WARC's study. For more information and research results, check out their research on grapes in Montana.
2018 Season
Variety |
Bud Break |
Bloom |
Fruit Set |
Veraison |
Harvest Date |
Yield (kg) |
Brix Content (°Bx) |
| Beta | May 22 | June 28 | July 6 | August 30 | September 25 | 2.6 | 20 |
| Kay Gray | May 29 | June 30 | July 6 | August 30 | September 25 | 0.75 | 19 |
| St. Croix | May 29 | July 3 | July 13 | August 30 | September 25 | 2.4 | 17 |
| Valiant | May 22 | June 22 | July 3 | August 13 | September 25 | 7.15 | 20 |
| Bluebell | May 29 | June 28 | July 6 | August 30 | September 25 | 5.45 | 17 |
| Elvira | May 22 | June 28 | July 9 | September 7 | September 25 | 0.75 | 13 |
| Maréchal Foch | May 22 | July 3 | July 13 | August 22 | September 25 | 2.75 | 20 |
| St. Pepin | May 29 | July 6 | July 13 | August 22 | September 25 | 1.75 | 19 |
| Swenson Red | May 29 | July 6 | July 13 | August 30 | September 25 | 0.15 | 18 |
| Van Buren | May 29 | July 18 | July 25 | September 7 | September 25 | 0.1 | 13 |
| Aurore | May 22 | July 6 | July 13 | August 22 | September 22 | 0.1 | 19 |
| Seyval Blanc | May 29 | July 20 | July 25 | September 7 | September 25 | 0.1 | 12 |
*A hard freeze on the night of June 11 killed most of the new growth on the vines and greatly affected production over the 2018 season. The arrival of freezing fall temperatures also dictated the harvest (September 25) of grapes, even though not all varieties had reached desired Brix levels. Only varieties with grapes ripe enough to harvest are listed in the table above; multiple varieties did not recover in time to produce edible berries, and unripe clusters were not harvested or included in the data.
2019 Season
Variety |
Bud Break |
Bloom |
Fruit Set |
Veraison |
Harvest Date |
Yield (kg) |
Brix Content (°Bx) |
| Beta | June 1 | July 5 | July 9 | September 5 | September 27 | 3.8 | 16 |
| St. Croix | June 3 | July 9 | July 16 | September 16 | September 27 | 1.7 | 12.5 |
| Valiant | June 1 | July 5 | July 8 | August 20 | September 27 | 17.7 | 17 |
| Bluebell | June 2 | July 9 | July 16 | September 11 | September 27 | 2.2 | 13 |
| Maréchal Foch | June 2 | July 9 | July 16 | September 5 | September 27 | 4.3 | 16.5 |
| St. Pepin | June 5 | July 9 | July 16 | September 5 | September 27 | 2.3 | 15.5 |
*As in 2018, cold spring weather and a cool summer greatly affected the grape vines and reduced crop yield on all varieties except Valiant, and the arrival of freezing fall temperatures dictated the harvest of grapes on September 27. Only varieties ripe enough to eat (°Bx>12) were harvested, and unripe grape clusters were not harvested either.
2020 Season
Variety |
Bud Break |
Bloom |
Fruit Set |
Veraison |
Harvest Date |
Yield (kg) |
Brix Content (°Bx) |
| Beta | May 27 | June 27 | July 2 | August 18 | October 9 | 1.8 | 22 |
| Kay Gray | May 29 | June 27 | July 6 | August 26 | October 9 | 0.04 | 19.5 |
| St. Croix | June 3 | July 6 | July 13 | September 3 | October 9 | 0.3 | 18.5 |
| Valiant | May 27 | June 24 | June 30 | August 14 | October 9 | 9.0 | 19.5 |
| Bluebell | June 3 | July 6 | July 13 | September 7 | October 9 | 0.1 | 17.5 |
| Maréchal Foch | May 29 | June 29 | July 8 | August 20 | October 9 | 1.3 | 20.5 |
| St. Pepin | June 3 | July 6 | July 13 | August 24 | October 9 | 0.6 | 21.5 |
*Early freezing temperatures in October 2019 damaged or killed many of the vines, resulting in a somewhat slow start to the 2020 season and reduced yield on most varieties (Valiant seems to have been the exception). However, warm fall temperatures allowed for a later harvest than in past years and resulted in improved Brix content at harvest.
2021 Season
Variety |
Bud Break |
Bloom |
Fruit Set |
Veraison |
Harvest Date |
Yield (kg) |
Brix Content (°Bx) |
| Beta | June 2 | June 22 | June 28 | August 27 | September 28 | 0.4 | 24 |
| Valiant | May 30 | June 20 | June 25 | August 5 | September 28 | 5.8 | 21.5 |
| Maréchal Foch | June 10 | June 28 | July 9 | September 10 | September 28 | 0.06 | 12 |
*Abrupt freezing temperatures in October 2020 and unpredictable weather over the winter resulted in high vine mortality. Valiant was the only variety with a 100% survival rate, and surviving vines produced fewer grapes than in previous years. However, hot weather over the summer sped up development and resulted in higher Brix contents at harvest than years with similar harvest dates.
2022 Season
Variety |
Bud Break |
Bloom |
Fruit Set |
Veraison |
Harvest Date |
Yield (kg) |
Brix Content (°Bx) |
| Beta | June 5 | July 5 | July 13 | August 29 | October 14 | 2.3 | 15.5 |
| Kay Gray | June 8 | July 7 | July 13 | September 2 | October 14 | 1.4 | 16 |
| St. Croix | June 12 | July 11 | July 20 | September 2 | October 14 | 0.3 | 19.5 |
| Valiant | June 3 | July 2 | July 7 | August 21 | October 14 | 7.9 | 16.5 |
| Bluebell | June 12 | July 7 | July 13 | September 2 | October 14 | 1.7 | 17.5 |
| Elvira | June 15 | July 7 | July 13 | September 9 | October 14 | 1.9 | 11.5 |
| Worden | June 17 | July 13 | July 22 | September 20 | October 14 | 0.2 | 15 |
| Concord | June 17 | July 13 | July 22 | September 23 | October 14 | 0.1 | 14 |
| Edelweiss | June 17 | July 13 | July 22 | September 2 | October 14 | 0.1 | 14.5 |
| Maréchal Foch | June 8 | July 5 | July 13 | August 24 | October 14 | 8.1 | 21.5 |
| Fredonia | June 18 | July 13 | July 22 | September 7 | October 14 | 0.2 | 15 |
| St. Pepin | June 17 | July 13 | July 22 | August 29 | October 14 | 0.5 | 20.5 |
| Swenson Red | June 17 | July 13 | July 22 | August 29 | October 14 | 0.5 | 20.5 |
| Van Buren | June 18 | July 13 | July 22 | September 9 | October 14 | 0.1 | 15 |
| Aurore | June 19 | July 14 | July 25 | September 2 | October 14 | 0.2 | 19.5 |
| De Chaunac | June 19 | July 13 | July 25 | September 2 | October 14 | 0.6 | 17.5 |
*A mild winter resulted in much better vine survival than in previous years, especially on the less-hardy varieties. However, cool and rainy weather in the weeks leading up to harvest slowed down sugar production and resulted in lower Brix contents than previous years.Raccoons also got into the vineyard the week before harvest and ate a lot of berries - some varieties lost nearly half of their yield.
The Horticulture Farm vineyard has a large enough footprint that it is not practical to cover the vines in response to cold temperatures. However, home growers with a limited number of vines could potentially cover their vines at night in spring to protect against late frost damage, and again in fall to extend the season and further ripen grapes. Another option if only light frost is expected (in spring or fall) is to run sprinklers on the grape vines overnight. This will coat leaves and shoots with a thin layer of ice and insulate them against frost damage. (This technique was used successfully several times during the 2020 growing season.)
Variety Recommendations
Based on several years of observations, the following grape varieties appear to be the most cold-hardy and productive in the Gallatin Valley:
- Beta - tolerates some cold damage and ripens quickly
- Valiant - the best producer overall and very cold-hardy; ripens about the same time as Beta
- Bluebell - the best-tasting grape, but doesn't ripen as quickly as Beta or Valiant and isn't quite as cold-tolerant
- Maréchal Foch - ripens quickly, but doesn't produce quite as much as Valiant