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La crescent

Overview

La Crescent is a cold-hardy white hybrid released by the University of Minnesota in 2002 and named for the Mississippi River town in southeastern Minnesota. UMN describes it as “very cold hardy,” moderately disease resistant, and notably aromatic with apricot, citrus and tropical fruit tones, and lists it among its core cold-climate cultivars now planted across the Upper Midwest and into New England. In the Northeast specifically, growers in Vermont and New York feature it in varietal wines and blends, and the Upper Hudson AVA even names La Crescent among its signature grapes. UMN’s program page and fact sheet remain the anchor references for basic identity, use, and viticulture. (mnhardy.umn.edu)

Origin & Breeding

La Crescent (selection MN 1166) arose from a 1988 cross of St. Pepin × E.S. 6‑8‑25 at the University of Minnesota Horticultural Research Center, selected in 1992 and later patented (US PP14,617) by breeders Peter Hemstad and James Luby. The patent notes E.S. 6‑8‑25 as a V. riparia × Muscat Hamburg derivative—one reason many winemakers perceive Muscat-like aromatics—and describes La Crescent’s perfect flowers, amber berries, and loose clusters. Iowa State’s extension summary adds a genetic breakdown frequently cited in extension circles: approximately 45% V. vinifera, 28% V. riparia, with smaller contributions from V. rupestris, V. labrusca, and V. aestivalis. UMN’s early conference report (Acta Horticulturae, 2003) frames La Crescent as a “new cold hardy, high quality” white tailored for winter-prone regions. (patents.justia.com)

Climate Adaptation & Hardiness

How cold is “cold hardy” in practice? UMN’s commercialization page states vines tolerated −36°F (−38°C) in early February with only minor bud loss; the 2003 Hemstad & Luby paper likewise reports vineyard trials to −38°C. By contrast, UMN’s variety page gives a broader field range—survival from about −20°F to −35°F with some bud death—and adds that La Crescent is “less hardy than Frontenac,” with late-season downy mildew defoliation potentially compromising winter survival. Wholesale and nursery guidance in the Northeast often place La Crescent squarely in USDA zone 3, reflecting its routine use from northern New York into northern New England. Together, these paint a picture of substantial absolute hardiness with outcome tied to vine health and disease management going into dormancy. (license.umn.edu)

Phenology

Across northern sites, La Crescent tends toward early budbreak—UMN notes “early bud break…just slightly after Marquette”—and mid-season ripening. In Vermont, Lincoln Peak Vineyard splits the variety into multiple picks: an “earlier pick” from a less vigorous section on 9/16/2024 for an off‑dry white (pH 3.25, TA 7.7 g/L, RS 27 g/L), a “later pick” for a richer off‑dry wine (pH 3.12, TA 9.7 g/L, RS 19.1 g/L), and a dry Reserve La Crescent harvested last in their 2024 season (pH 3.50, TA 6.9 g/L), underscoring local choice and intra-block variability. Wisconsin’s 2024 WMARS scouting data show La Crescent reaching 22.5–23.5 °Brix by mid‑September with TA still relatively high compared to peers—consistent with an “aromatic, high‑acid” white that many producers harvest from early to mid‑September in the Upper Midwest and Northeast. (mnhardy.umn.edu)

Growth Habit

Several extension and grower sources describe a vigorous, somewhat trailing/procumbent habit that responds well to high‑wire systems. UMN suggests either Single High Wire or VSP with active canopy work; Vermont‑based work in a commercial vineyard (Lincoln Peak) found that GDC (Geneva Double Curtain) produced the highest yields for La Crescent without compromising basic fruit chemistry. Winemaking trade coverage of Northern Grapes research adds that La Crescent’s “procumbent growth habit” suits high‑cordon trellising. Lincoln Peak’s own La Crescent block is trained to GDC, matching both the research and the on-the-ground choice. UMN also cautions against retaining bull canes for fruiting due to winter injury risk—a practical pruning note repeated in cold-climate canopy management articles. (mnhardy.umn.edu)

Disease & Physiological Issues

Reports diverge a bit by site and season, but some patterns recur. UMN lists moderate susceptibility to black rot and powdery mildew, high susceptibility to downy mildew on leaves (even post‑harvest), and low susceptibility to Botrytis bunch rot; foliar phylloxera can also be an issue. Iowa State’s varietal note adds high susceptibility to anthracnose and flags documented sensitivity to copper (after multiple applications) and to sulfur (also after repeated sprays) in McManus et al. (2017), a reminder to heed fungicide fit and rotation. Wisconsin extension posts emphasize late‑season downy mildew pressure on rachises and peduncles, which can shrivel berries—a timely concern in humid late summers—and multiple Midwest and UMN posts stress keeping canopies healthy after harvest to improve winter acclimation. Physiologically, UMN and multiple nurseries warn that La Crescent is prone to “shatter” or “shelling” near peak ripeness; one SARE grower project in Wisconsin tested calcium feeding as a potential mitigation, reflecting a community still experimenting with practical fixes. (mnhardy.umn.edu)

Fruit Composition & Sensory Profile

UMN’s fact sheet targets 22–25 °Brix at harvest, pH 2.9–3.2, and TA 11–15 g/L; Wisconsin field data commonly show >22 °Brix with comparatively persistent acidity into harvest. At Lincoln Peak in 2024, chemistry ranged from pH 3.12–3.50 and TA 6.9–9.7 g/L across different picks and sites within the vineyard, showing how management and pick date can shift balance. Iowa State summarizes typical finished-wine metrics around pH ~3.3 and TA ~11 g/L in dry renditions. On aroma, Hemstad & Luby repeatedly cite apricot, citrus, and pineapple; the patent further notes the absence of “foxy” labrusca and strong riparia herbaceous notes. Many producers add floral or Muscat‑like tones to that list, and northern wineries often note stonefruit and citrus as signatures. (mnhardy.umn.edu)

Winemaking Approaches

Cold‑climate enologists have focused on managing high natural acidity while preserving aromatics. Northern Grapes work at Cornell and UMN tested malic‑acid–reducing yeasts and other biological/chemical deacidification strategies; their takeaways emphasize that pH strongly governs malic loss and that results differ among cultivars and cellar temperatures, with no single “magic bullet” that preferentially removes malic only in La Crescent. UMN’s enology notes for cultivar trials highlight QA23 for dry styles and M1 when an arrested, off‑dry finish is desired. Practitioner pieces echo similar tactics: one pro tip set recommends cool ferments with aromatic yeasts (QA23; sometimes 71B for modest malic uptake), careful cold‑stopping to retain RS, and robust cold stabilization given “a lot of tartrates.” More recently, Iowa State reported that neutral‑oak barrel fermentation improved protein stability in La Crescent, potentially reducing high bentonite doses often needed for hybrid whites—another pragmatic tweak that some producers are testing. (blogs.cornell.edu)

Example Styles & Uses

Growers in the Northeast and Eastern Canada have used La Crescent in a surprisingly wide range of styles: - Vermont: Lincoln Peak bottles multiple expressions—from a bright, earlier‑pick off‑dry La Crescent to a later‑pick off‑dry and a dry Reserve fermented/aged in neutral oak and stainless—illustrating how pick timing and élevage steer the same grape in different directions. (lincolnpeakvineyard.com) - New York’s North Country: Thousand Islands Winery pours a varietal La Crescent “produced in a Germanic style,” plus a lightly sparkling “La Crescent Spritz,” both leaning into citrus‑tropical fruit and sweetness for balance. (thousandislandswinery.com) - Long Island meets Upstate fruit: Suhru Wines released a 2022 La Crescent as the start of a series spotlighting lesser‑known New York grapes, a sign that hybrid whites are entering broader conversations in the state’s wine scene. (northforker.com) - Québec: Vignoble de la Bauge’s “La Renversante 2023,” an orange wine maceration with 80% La Crescent, showcases skin‑contact and natural‑leaning possibilities in Eastern Canada. (lesminettes.ca) - New Hampshire: Zorvino lists La Crescent among its estate cold‑hardy whites, reinforcing the grape’s footprint across northern New England. (zorvino.com)

Climate Adaptation & Hardiness, Revisited (voices from the field)

“Vines have tolerated… −36°F with only minor bud loss,” reads UMN’s licensing page, while UMN’s agronomy team cautions that in grower reality La Crescent survival spans roughly −20 to −35°F and depends on keeping leaves healthy late into fall. In Vermont’s 2024 season, Lincoln Peak wrote that after “the warmest winter in Vermont history,” timely canopy work amid summer humidity set up a string of ideal late‑August to late‑September harvest windows—anecdotes that illustrate how annual weather arcs can swing outcomes even in very cold‑capable cultivars. (license.umn.edu)

Open Questions & Conflicting Reports

  • How fragile—or manageable—is downy mildew in La Crescent? UMN calls fruit fairly tolerant but leaves highly susceptible; Wisconsin alerts have highlighted late‑season rachis infections; some Northeast nurseries simply label DM and black rot as “quite susceptible but easily controlled with a careful spray program.” Real vineyards report both smooth years and heavy pressure years, suggesting site and timing drive the narrative as much as genetics. (mnhardy.umn.edu)
  • Shelling: nuisance or deal‑breaker? UMN warns berry drop at ripeness; a Vermont nursery says bluntly, “late harvest is not an option,” while a Wisconsin SARE project explored calcium as a mitigation. Growers continue to compare cultural controls (canopy, crop load, pick logistics) with nutrient strategies. (mnhardy.umn.edu)
  • Style spectrum: off‑dry default or dry contender? Extension sources often frame La Crescent as best off‑dry to sweet due to acid, yet Vermont examples show dry bottlings when pH/TA align, and New York and Québec producers are pushing sparkling and skin‑contact variants. The grape seems to enable, rather than dictate, a house style—if chemistry and cellar tactics cooperate. (winemakermag.com)
  • Hardiness claims: −36°F and −38°C appear in breeder and licensing records; field summaries settle on a broader, more conditional range with explicit reminders that late‑season foliar disease can erode winter survival—an unresolved tension between genetic potential and seasonal reality. (license.umn.edu)

References

  • University of Minnesota, Minnesota Hardy: La Crescent grape cultivar. https://mnhardy.umn.edu/la-crescent (mnhardy.umn.edu)
  • University of Minnesota, All University of Minnesota Grape Varieties. https://mnhardy.umn.edu/grapes/varieties (mnhardy.umn.edu)
  • Hemstad, P.R., Luby, J.J. “La Crescent, a new cold hardy, high quality, white wine variety.” Acta Horticulturae 603, 2003. https://www.actahort.org/books/603/603_100.htm (actahort.org)
  • U.S. Plant Patent PP14,617: Grape plant named ‘La Crescent’ (MN 1166). https://patents.google.com/patent/USPP14617P3/en and https://patents.justia.com/patent/PP14617 (patents.google.com)
  • Iowa State University, Midwest Grape & Wine Industry Institute: Grape Variety—La Crescent (A. Watrelot). https://www.extension.iastate.edu/wine/grape-variety-la-crescent/ (extension.iastate.edu)
  • Wisconsin Fruit Program: Vineyard Scouting Report, Sept. 11, 2024 (GDD and La Crescent Brix/TA progress). https://fruit.wisc.edu/2024/09/12/vineyard-scouting-report-september-11-2024/ (fruit.wisc.edu)
  • Lincoln Peak Vineyard (VT), 2024 releases and technical notes (multiple La Crescent picks and chemistries). https://www.lincolnpeakvineyard.com/our-wines and https://www.lincolnpeakvineyard.com/farm-periodical/category/Wines (lincolnpeakvineyard.com)
  • WineBusiness: “Northern Grapes Project Sees Results” (La Crescent described as procumbent; DM susceptibility; acidity). https://winebusinessanalytics.com/columns/section/82/article/115798/Northern-Grapes-Project-Sees-Results (winebusinessanalytics.com)
  • Northern Grapes Project Owner’s Manual—Chapter 3: The Winery (acid management; malic-reducing yeasts). https://blogs.cornell.edu/ngpownersmanual/owners-manual/the-winery/ (blogs.cornell.edu)
  • UMN Technology Commercialization: Cold Hardy La Crescent Grape Variety. https://license.umn.edu/product/cold-hardy-la-crescent-grape-variety (license.umn.edu)
  • Northeastern Vine Supply (VT): La Crescent variety page (shelling, disease notes, zone guidance). https://www.nevinesupply.com/product/white-wine-la-crescent/12/ (nevinesupply.com)
  • UMN Fruit & Vegetable IPM Blog: Post-harvest disease management for downy and powdery mildew. https://blog-fruit-vegetable-ipm.extension.umn.edu/2020/10/article-was-originally-published-on-umn.html (blog-fruit-vegetable-ipm.extension.umn.edu)
  • Wisconsin Fruit: Late-season downy mildew update (rachis/peduncle impacts). https://fruit.wisc.edu/2024/08/26/wisconsin-vineyard-update-august-2024-late-season-downy-mildew/ (fruit.wisc.edu)
  • SARE Project: Using Micro‑Nutrients to Control Shattering of La Crescent Grapes (Final Report). https://projects.sare.org/sare_project/fnc19-1201/ (projects.sare.org)
  • MGWII (Iowa State): Neutral‑oak barrel fermentation improves protein stability in La Crescent wine (M. Moroney). https://www.extension.iastate.edu/wine/neutral-oak-barrel-fermentation-improves-protein-stability-in-la-crescent-wine/ (extension.iastate.edu)
  • Winemaker Magazine: La Crescent—Cold‑Climate Hybrid; and “Making La Crescent Wine: Tips from the Pros.” https://winemakermag.com/article/la-crescent-hybrid and https://winemakermag.com/technique/making-lacrescent-wine-tips-from-the-pros (winemakermag.com)
  • Thousand Islands Winery (NY): La Crescent and La Crescent Spritz product pages. https://thousandislandswinery.com/wines/ and https://vinoshipper.com/catalog/sparkling/thousand_islands_winery/la_crescent_spritz_80841 (thousandislandswinery.com)
  • Suhru Wines (NY): “Suhru Wines releases Long Island’s first La Crescent.” https://northforker.com/2023/03/suhru-wines-releases-long-islands-first-la-crescent/ (northforker.com)
  • Vignoble de la Bauge/Les Minettes (QC): La Renversante 2023 (orange wine, 80% La Crescent). https://lesminettes.ca/products/la-renversante-2023 (lesminettes.ca)
  • Upper Hudson AVA (NY): AVA page listing La Crescent among grapes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upper_Hudson_AVA (en.wikipedia.org)

Notes on quotes and perspectives - “Procumbent growth habit” characterized in Northern Grapes coverage; “Germanic style” and citrus‑tropical descriptors appear in winery product notes; “late harvest is not an option” on shelling reflects a Vermont nursery’s caution. These are presented as the speakers’/writers’ views in context, not universal truths. (winebusinessanalytics.com)

No conclusions—just what growers, winemakers, and researchers are saying today.