Vineyard Grape Pages-Buffalo

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Buffalo Grape Information

Buffalo Blue-Black Jam, Jelly, & Wine Grape	Image compliments of bunchgrape.com

Ripening Season	Ripens Early September - Very popular grape for juice & jelly. Makes a very fruity wine.

Usage Notes Wine, Jelly, Juice, Table	Buffalo is a productive, Concord-type grape, and a great choice for making juice and for eating fresh from the vine. Large clusters of reddish black grapes with wonderful flavor are ready at least a week before Concord. This vigorous American hybrid is easy to grow in much of the nation. Most people like buffalo wine with a sweet finish. It makes a "candy-like" ruby red wine. We incuded some buffalo grapes in two wines that we had at our daughter's, (Liz & Mark) wedding in 2006. It was a very pleasant "grapey" tasting wine. Click here for Buffalo winemaking info .....

Fall Harvest Notes	Ripening Information for Week 5, October 12, 13 & 14 2007 We still have buffalo left in the back of the rows. Click here for a ripening summary and grape prices for the whole vineyard ......

Variety Notes More Info	Buffalo (Herbert x Watkins) From Cornell University's Geneva, New York experiment station. Blue-black, slipskin, with berries much like Concord in appearance, but on smaller clusters. Flavor is fruity and spicey, with less of the labrusca flavor than most American varieties. Has been used in winemaking because it has tannins similar to vinifera from that species in it's ancestry. Does best with good soil fertility. Secondary crop is good if frost hits the primary shoots. Vine is upright. Prune to three bud spurs on cordons. Hardy to between -15 to -20 F. It is considered by most to have the highest dessert quality of the early black grapes. It is non "Foxy", juicy, very sweet, spicy, tart and vinous. It makes a "candy-like" ruby red wine.

Where are the Buffalo vines located in the vineyard?	Rows 3 & 4 Row 47 Rows 88 & 89 North Each row has about 50 vines. Rows 3 & 4 were part of the original vineyard planted in 1983. Buffalo has been very popular and more rows have been planted over the years. The last planting (rows 88 & 89 north end) were done in 2005. The rows on the East side and back part of the vineyard are trained to a Geneva Double Curtain trellis, which means there are 2 top wires 4 feet apart (like utility poles) This gives the vines more room to grow
Where are the Buffalo vines located in the vineyard?	Click here or on the image to enlarge it.

Links	Jelly Making Grape recipes from the Kitchen Step by Step Winemaking Home winemaking with Eastern Grapes Making Red Wine WineMaking Resources Winemaking Articles Winemaking Resources from our Links Pages A Year in the Vineyard Pictorial

Where can I Purchase Buffalo Wine & Vines?	I have not seen Buffalo wine sold in stores. It is very unique and most buffalo grapes go to the fresh market. It may be included (but not on the label) of many wines that have a fruity, sweeter finish. These style of wines may be purchased on line from: St. Julien Winery Peterson & Sons - Natural Wines Due to regulations wine cannot be shipped into Michigan from other states. Stop by these wineries to purchase this style of wine. NY - Bully Hill Vineyard NY - Swedish Hill NY - Hunt Country (Note - If any other winery carries this style of wine and wants to be included here, please let us know) We do not sell wine or vines. Please go to our resource page for a listing of nurseries.

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