Resistant vines yielding beautiful wines

Visiting TreZero was a real full-circle career moment for me. I got my start in the wine world 11 years ago at a small vineyard in New Hampshire growing the "old" interspecific hybrids, the crossings that were done as the first tranche response to the invasion of Downy and Powdery mildew into Europe. Those older hybrids have a good dollop of the wild American Vitis species genetics in them, which makes them very hardy (to frost, phylloxera, and fungal infection) but leaves more to be desired in the flavor and aroma department.

Over the last decade, a quantum leap has been made in the hybrid vine space. Breeders have developed new cultivars with the sensory characteristics of vinifera, and they have serious potential to change the meaning of sustainability in wine. While standard vinifera varieties are sprayed a dozen-odd times a season (yes, even organic!) these varieties can get away with 2-4 fungicide sprays, depending on the region and seasonal weather.

The wines were fresh, clean, and easy to drink. TreZero grow and vinify two whites, Soreli ("sun" in the Friulian dialect) and Sauvignon rytos, and the red Merlot Khorus. A little birdy tells me that the first two varieties are currently in the process of being imported into NZ.

There's a lot to be learned for both current and prospective growers of resistant varieties. Their viticultual and enological attributes are different and need to be managed accordingly. Nicola, the brilliant young enologist at TreZero, explained to me that due to the higher sugar and acid profile of the resistant varieties, they find that sequential inoculations with different genera of yeasts gives the most balanced outcome. Torulaspora spp. or Lachancea thermotolerans are used for the inital inoculation, then Saccharomyces is added to the party 3-4 days later.

And for my sav-growing NZ friends who will want to know, Soreli unthinned (and un-irrigated here) can crop up to 20 T/ha. TreZero thins to 10-12 T/ha for quality.

The cartoon translation: "resistant to everything, but not to those who want to make us into wine"