Wine grape research gets funding boost

Kentville, NS – Wine grape research at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Kentville Research and Development Centre in Nova Scotia is being expanded with $400,000 funding.

The expanded program will include the hiring of three new federal scientists and development of a new experimental vineyard.

The three new scientists will complement existing research staff at the centre. Working directly with grape growers and vintners, they will map every vineyard in Nova Scotia and record the unique characteristics of the province’s microclimates and terroirs and the production and management practices at each location.

The centre’s new experimental 2-acres vineyard will allow the scientists to investigate grape wine production practices, soil fertility, bud hardiness and pest and disease management in the same climate and soil conditions facing grape growers across the province. In addition, the researchers will collaborate with the Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Department at Brock University, and will work closely with the Winery Association of Nova Scotia, the Grape Growers of Nova Scotia, and the Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture and local academic institutions to share best practices in the grape wine industry.

The work will complement wine research being conducted at AAFC’s Summerland Research and Development Centre in British Columbia, at academic institutions and within the industry across the country.

“Nova Scotia is quickly establishing an international reputation for wines, as are many regions across Canada,” said Lawrence MacAulay, minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. “This research will identify new opportunities for growth and increase demand for Nova Scotian and Canadian wines.”

The overall goal is to help Nova Scotia’s wine industry grow with better information about varieties, growing techniques, and processing that will ultimately help grape growers and wineries take full advantage of the region’s unique microclimates and land.