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Frontenac gris

Overview

Frontenac Gris is the peach‑and‑pineapple‑leaning, pink‑berried color mutation of Minnesota’s flagship cold‑climate grape, Frontenac. Released by the University of Minnesota in 2003, it’s grown widely across the northern United States and eastern Canada for white, rosé, sparkling, late‑harvest, and even true ice wine styles. University sources describe it as vigorous, very winter‑hardy (tested to around −35°F), and typically higher in acidity—traits that have made it a workhorse in USDA Zones 3–5 from Maine and Vermont to Québec and Ontario. (mnhardy.umn.edu)

Origin & Breeding

The grape’s origin story reads like serendipity: in 1992, University of Minnesota breeder Peter Hemstad noticed a single cane on a Frontenac vine bearing gray‑colored fruit. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency documents Frontenac Gris as that “single cane sport (a spontaneous mutation),” subsequently propagated and observed through the 1990s before being released in 2003. Because it is a mutation of Frontenac, its genetic background traces to a cross of Landot 4511 and a Vitis riparia selection (Riparia 89) developed at UMN. (active.inspection.gc.ca)

Midwest Wine Press quoted UMN’s then‑enology project leader Katie Cook calling Frontenac Gris “a single bud mutation of Frontenac,” a reminder that the Frontenac family continues to spin off color variants (Frontenac Blanc followed later). (midwestwinepress.com)

Climate Adaptation & Hardiness

University materials present Frontenac Gris as “very hardy,” with trials showing survival to approximately −35°F, comparable to Frontenac itself; a UMN Extension cold event note adds that Frontenac Gris has been observed surviving at least −35°F. Growers in Minnesota and Wisconsin have long leaned on it after deep freezes, citing reliable cropping on secondary buds. These traits have encouraged plantings across cold pockets of the Northeast and eastern Canada where winter lows and spring frost risk can be severe. (mnhardy.umn.edu)

UMN’s commercialization page frames its practical experience this way: with good viticulture, Frontenac Gris has been “sufficiently cold hardy for consistent production in central Minnesota where temperatures frequently reach −30°F.” (license.umn.edu)

Phenology

On timing, UMN places Frontenac Gris at early‑ to mid‑season budbreak and a mid‑season harvest, averaging September 27 in east‑central Minnesota—earlier than Frontenac Noir (often October) and generally later than Frontenac Blanc. A New York nursery guide adds a concrete comparison familiar to Northeastern growers: budbreak “2–3 days before Concord.” Growers and researchers repeatedly emphasize that some pick later to temper acidity or to pursue late‑harvest and ice wine styles. (mnhardy.umn.edu)

Seasonal tracking from Iowa State’s Berry Composition Reports shows how that “wait for acids to fall” looks in numbers: in Webster County, 2024 Frontenac Gris samples moved from 19.6 °Brix/TA 22 g/L (Aug 19) to 25.1 °Brix/TA 11.6 g/L (Sept 9), with pH rising from 3.19 to 3.58. (extension.iastate.edu)

Growth Habit

UMN characterizes Gris as moderately high in vigor with loose, conical clusters (~131 g), and suitable for several trellis systems—High Wire (top wire cordon), Geneva Double Curtain, or VSP—thanks to its semi‑trailing habit. Their pruning guidance is unusually specific: six to eight buds per linear foot, with 3–3.5 spurs per foot when spur‑pruning, and an expectation of up to three clusters per shoot. A widely used Northeastern nursery echoes the High‑Wire bias for procumbent hybrids and lists Gris as very vigorous with semi‑trailing growth. (mnhardy.umn.edu)

Disease & Physiological Issues

Disease notes vary by place and year—sometimes dramatically. UMN’s cultivar page reports moderate susceptibility to powdery mildew and leaf phylloxera, low to moderate black rot, and very low susceptibility to downy mildew and bunch rots. A multi‑site, no‑spray trial summarized in a SARE report found Frontenac and Frontenac Gris fruit “moderately to highly susceptible” to powdery mildew in some Wisconsin plots, yet also concluded the Frontenac family “perform well against downy mildew” (generally on foliage, not fruit), hinting at a reduced need to spray for that disease in certain northern conditions. Several extension voices stress tight bloom‑time fungicide windows to limit black rot. (mnhardy.umn.edu)

Practitioners also watch for phylloxera leaf galls and occasional herbicide drift sensitivity in the Frontenac family; UMN notes foliar phylloxera as an issue and suggests standard canopy thinning and fruit‑zone leaf removal to help ripening and disease management. (mnhardy.umn.edu)

Fruit Composition & Sensory Profile

UMN recommends harvesting Frontenac Gris at roughly 23–26 °Brix with pH near 3.0, acknowledging juice TA can run to about 14 g/L. Their sensory shorthand: full‑bodied whites with strong fruit—especially peach and pineapple—with honeyed hints; skins can tint wines pale salmon. Iowa’s 2024 field data showed similar high‑sugar/high‑acid tendencies (peaking around 25 °Brix and TA ~12 g/L as pH climbed to ~3.4–3.6). (mnhardy.umn.edu)

Producers in the Northeast and eastern Canada fill in the color and aroma gaps. Taylor Brooke (Connecticut) bottles a dry, sparkling Frontenac Gris “with bubbles delivering bursts of tropical fruit,” while Québec’s Gagliano describes a semi‑dry, full‑bodied Gris with notes of peach, ripe apricot, green apple, and grapefruit. In Michigan’s Tip of the Mitt, Petoskey Farms’ estate Gris (2023) lists pH 2.92 with flavors of peach, pineapple, and candied orange; several Midwestern producers note rose‑gold hues from brief skin time. (taylorbrookewinery.com)

Winemaking Approaches

Frontenac‑family acidity is the big canvas. UMN’s enology team outlines multiple tools: careful decisions around malolactic (discouraged for many whites but sometimes used partially), cold‑contact stabilization to drop tartaric (with KHT caveats at higher pH), and blending—legally up to 25% in a varietally labeled wine—to soften edges. Northern Grapes trials explored malic‑reducing yeasts and other deacidification approaches, noting cultivar‑ and pH‑dependent results; in one scaled‑up trial, malic loss was slightly higher at ambient temperature in Frontenac Gris. (enology.umn.edu)

Practitioner snapshots show divergent paths: - Fireside Winery (IA) clearly lists “No malolactic fermentation” and “Cold stabilization: Yes” for its semi‑sweet Frontenac Gris—one common way to keep the fruit high‑toned while polishing texture. (firesidewinery.com) - Four Daughters (MN) leans into color: “Frontenac Gris is a grey grape that can add color depending on fermentation,” inspiring a deliberate “Pink Wine” between white and rosé. (shop.fourdaughtersvineyard.com) - In Maine, Cellardoor documented a true estate Ice Wine in 2018 from Frontenac Gris and Blanc, picked frozen on November 15; their notes cite pineapple, caramelized banana, and butterscotch. (mainewine.com)

Example Styles & Uses

  • Sparkling: Taylor Brooke (CT) bottles a dry, tropical‑fruited sparkling Frontenac Gris. (taylorbrookewinery.com)
  • Semi‑dry white: Gagliano (Dunham, Québec) highlights peach/apricot/green apple/grapefruit in a gold‑hued, semi‑dry Gris that’s seen success at local competitions. (vignoblegagliano.com)
  • Ice wine and late‑harvest: Cellardoor (ME) produced a 50/50 Frontenac Gris–Blanc Ice Wine from estate fruit; Québec’s SAQ has carried late‑harvest Frontenac Gris from Coteau Rougemont (2013) at 140 g/L sugar. (mainewine.com)
  • Rosé/skin‑contact: Aux Volets Noirs (Québec) releases short‑maceration Gris wines with delicate tannin and plum notes; Midwest producers like Four Daughters explicitly market a “Pink Wine” approach. (racinesboreales.ca)
  • Blends and co‑ferments: In Nova Scotia, Beausoleil’s lightly sparkling “Frontenac & Blue” blends Frontenac Gris wine with local cider and wild blueberries; in Ontario, LCBO has listed an Ontario white where Frontenac Blanc and Gris anchor a blend. (beausoleilvineyards.ca)

Open Questions & Conflicting Reports

  • Powdery mildew: UMN calls Gris only moderately susceptible, yet a Wisconsin no‑spray study saw “moderately to highly susceptible” fruit in certain sites. Some growers report clean fruit with modest programs; others see rachis/cluster infections in humid years. (mnhardy.umn.edu)
  • Downy mildew: UMN’s “very low susceptibility” to downy contrasts with grower caution in muggy Atlantic summers. The Wisconsin/Iowa work suggests downy is often foliar and seldom fruit‑limiting on Frontenac/Gris, hinting at site‑specific thresholds rather than a universal rule. (mnhardy.umn.edu)
  • Harvest calls: UMN suggests ~23–26 °Brix around late September; Iowa field data show acids dropping rapidly into September, while some Northeastern winemakers push hang time—or pivot to late‑harvest/ice wine—chasing balance. As Iowa winemaker John Larson once put it about Frontenac’s family, “Don’t pick it early”—a sentiment echoed for Gris—but others prefer earlier picks to preserve brightness. (mnhardy.umn.edu)
  • Color expression: UMN describes whites with salmon hints; Four Daughters aims squarely for “not quite a white, not quite a rosé,” and Québec’s natural‑leaning releases show pale rosé to amber tones after short macerations—style choices that seem to amplify local identity. (mnhardy.umn.edu)

References

  • University of Minnesota, Minnesota Hardy: Frontenac Gris cultivar page (viticulture, hardiness, harvest, training). https://mnhardy.umn.edu/frontenac-gris (mnhardy.umn.edu)
  • University of Minnesota, Minnesota Hardy: Frontenac (parentage, phenology and training context). https://mnhardy.umn.edu/frontenac (mnhardy.umn.edu)
  • University of Minnesota, Minnesota Hardy: Frontenac Blanc (relative timing within the family). https://mnhardy.umn.edu/frontenac-blanc (mnhardy.umn.edu)
  • UMN Technology Commercialization: “Cold Hardy Frontenac gris Grape” (aroma, hardiness experience to −30°F). https://license.umn.edu/product/cold-hardy-frontenac-gris-grape-variety (license.umn.edu)
  • Canadian Food Inspection Agency, variety page: discovery as single‑cane sport in 1992 and trial history. https://active.inspection.gc.ca/.../app00004789e.shtml (active.inspection.gc.ca)
  • UMN Extension IPM blog: Polar vortex notes on observed survival (Frontenac Gris to at least −35°F). https://blog-fruit-vegetable-ipm.extension.umn.edu/... (blog-fruit-vegetable-ipm.extension.umn.edu)
  • Double A Vineyards (NY) nursery listing: training system preference, budbreak vs. Concord, vigor. https://doubleavineyards.com/frontenac-gris (doubleavineyards.com)
  • Iowa State University Extension, Midwest Wine Grape Berry Composition Reports (Frontenac Gris Brix/pH/TA progression, 2024). https://www.extension.iastate.edu/wine/2024-midwest-wine-grape-berry-composition-report-week-5/ and Week 6 update. (extension.iastate.edu)
  • Northern Grapes Project “The Winery” (deacidification, malic‑reducing yeasts; Frontenac Gris ambient vs. refrigerated malic loss in scaled trial). https://blogs.cornell.edu/ngpownersmanual/.../the-winery/ (blogs.cornell.edu)
  • UMN Enology: “Balancing Acidity in Minnesota Wines” (MLF choices, cold stabilization, blending). https://enology.umn.edu/.../balancing-acidity-minnesota-wines-techniques-and-strategies-winemakers (enology.umn.edu)
  • Midwest Wine Press (2012): early adoption stories and quotes from UMN team and Midwest winemakers. https://midwestwinepress.com/2012/07/11/frontenac-gris/ (midwestwinepress.com)
  • Producer examples:
  • Taylor Brooke Winery (CT), Sparkling Frontenac Gris. https://www.taylorbrookewinery.com/wine/sparkling-frontenac-gris/ (taylorbrookewinery.com)
  • Cellardoor Winery (ME), Estate Ice Wine (Frontenac Gris/Blanc). https://mainewine.com/wines/icewine/ (mainewine.com)
  • Vignoble Gagliano (QC), Frontenac Gris semi‑dry. https://vignoblegagliano.com/product/enfrontenac-grisfrfrontenac-gris/ (vignoblegagliano.com)
  • Beausoleil Farmstead (NS), Frontenac Gris & cider blend. https://beausoleilvineyards.ca/shop/frontenac-blue/ (beausoleilvineyards.ca)
  • Four Daughters (MN), “Pink Wine” from Frontenac Gris. https://shop.fourdaughtersvineyard.com/product/Frontenac-Gris (shop.fourdaughtersvineyard.com)
  • SAQ listing: Coteau Rougemont Frontenac Gris Vendange Tardive 2013. https://www.saq.com/en/11680523 (saq.com)

Editor’s note: This story privileges firsthand university, extension, and producer documentation from cold‑climate regions; where data differ across studies or sites, we’ve presented those differences and left interpretation to the reader.