Watch out California. Florida could be the next state that dominates the wine business in the U.S. There are about 40 wineries around Florida and that number is poised to increase. As of 2017 (the most recent year for which there’s data), growers in the Sunshine State were producing over 1,500 acres of muscadine grapes. That’s a 74% increase in 10 years. UF/IFAS is hoping to teach Floridians more about this exciting crop during Grape Field Day on August 18.
Finding grapes for Florida
To meet the increasing market for Florida-grown grapes, Ali Sarkhosh, a UF/IFAS assistant professor of horticultural sciences, tries to grow varieties bred by scientists at Florida A&M University, the University of Georgia and the University of California, Davis.
“Florida’s mild winter climate and early spring season offer unique opportunities for early-season, fresh-market muscadines, a few weeks ahead of Georgia and North Carolina,” Sarkhosh said.
Farmers in those two states grow muscadine grapes and deliver them to supermarkets in August, September and October.
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“We are evaluating the performance of newly bred muscadine grapes — developed by the University of Georgia — to generate practical information on their productivity, berry quality and suitability for the Florida production window,” Sarkhosh said.
As with any crop, UF/IFAS scientists must protect against pathogens. Pierce’s disease presents the primary enemy for growing muscadine grapes in Florida, due mainly to the warm, humid climate. In June 2021, Sarkhosh started a trial to evaluate the performance of UC-Davis cultivars to see if they tolerate Pierce’s disease pressure in Florida’s climate. Results remain incomplete on that trial.
Grape Field Day
Want to learn how to grow grapes and about how to make wine from the fruit? You can by attending UF/IFAS’s fourth annual Grape Field Day on August 18 at the Plant Science Research and Education Unit or PSREU.
Sarkhosh will present some of his grape-growing data at a walk-and-talk at the PSREU research field. He sees a bright future for grape growing in Florida.
Also as part of the activities at the Grape Field Day, Andrew MacIntosh, an assistant professor of food science, will show participants how to make wine.
“This will be a quick demonstration of winemaking, accompanied by the theory of fermentation,” MacIntosh said of his workshop. “The goal is to dispel myths and to answer any questions participants may have concerning the winemaking process.”
The deadline to register for the Grape Field Day is August 12.