Information on Growing Grapes in Central Oregon
Identifying the grape cultivars that give you the wine you like, grows well, and ripens its grapes
consistently in your climate, is perhaps the single most important decision you will make in your quest for
growing grapes in Central Oregon. Locating information on grapes that will grow here can be a daunting
task. Possibly the first and most important bit of information you may want to know, in order to make
correct decisions for your location, is that Vitis Vinifera, the grape that makes the wine most of us are
familiar with, the one we pick up at Safeway or Costco, will most likely not produce a consistently viable
grape harvest here. The plant itself may grow, but it probably will not produce a ripe crop each year. This
is due to the fact that even the most cold hardy vinifera require considerably more growing degree days
(GDD) (<2500) than we have in Central Oregon. From 2004 to 2007 Bend averaged 1,707 GDD's and
Redmond 1,725 GDD's per year. Another data base showed an average of 2,240 for Bend. The 70 year,
yearly average for Bend is 1,478 GDD's. The further north you go the more GDD's you will find.
In addition vinifera is very susceptible to winter cold. 28*F causes death to any grape leaves and -5*F kills
vinifera plants. Vinifera requires more frost free days (>125 days) than we have here, and is very
susceptible to early and late season frosts, which we have in Central Oregon. That being said, most of us
who are growing grapes in this area have planted some vinifera regardless. Our suggestion would be to
concentrate on non grafted Hybrid vines and minimize the number of non grafted Vinifera vines. The
experiment to find which cultivars will survive our climate and produce a crop consistently, is far from
over, and probably will not be over for 10 to 20 years or more.
Look for cultivars that produce excellent wine or table grapes. Why waste your effort and money on a
cultivar that produces a lower quality blending wine, or a mediocre table grape? "The order of priorities
runs this way; first, select grapes that are suitable for winemaking or eating, since many are not; second, a
climate in which the grapevines will survive and ripen their crop; third, the art of the winemaker; and a
poor fourth, the soil."* Most soils in this area are volcanic sandy loam with a middle range pH, which is
good for grapes. Ideally a south or south east facing slope is best. Little or no fertilizer should be used for
the first two years. For Central Oregon, own rooted cultivars should be planted in a N-S orientation. They
should have a short growing season, an early harvest date, and the latest bud break possible. Some method
of irrigation is required and frost protection is very, very prudent. It matters not whether the vines are
American Hybrids, French Hybrids, or Native American grapes as long was they fit the above
criteria. They may be wine grapes or table grapes, whichever you prefer to grow. Some Native American
grapes which belong to a very cold tolerant group of grapes, have a "Foxy" taste to them which many
people do not like, but some people do. The most common example of this group is the Concord grape
from which juice and jelly is made.
The red Hybrid cultivars presently planted in Deschutes, Jefferson, and Crook counties are: Marshall Foch,
Frontenac, Marquette, Leon Millot, Landot 4511, Baco Noir, St. Croix, and Sabrevois.
The white Hybrid cultivars planted are LaCrescent, Vignoles, Seyval Blanc, LaCross, Traninette and
Frontenac Gris.
If you choose to grow a vinifera cultivar, the most cold hardy vinifera are, in this order, Muller-Thurgau,
Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, Riesling N90, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay. Note all but one are white
cultivars. Most of these are suited for zone 6 or 7, so think California weather.
Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and California have a quarantine against importing grape plants started or
grown in soil media. This is an effort to control the introduction of plant diseases. In effect no plants that
have been started in soil can be sold in these states. Purchase only certified cultivars from registered
nurseries that have started the plants in a non soil media.
*"Grapes into Wine, Philip M. Wagner, p13