Features Production Research
N.S. winery seeing early success in dried grape research project

Feb. 10, 2009 – A three-year research project into drying Nova Scotia
 grown grapes to enhance the flavour of local wines, is meeting with
 some early success.


A three-year research project into drying Nova Scotia
 grown grapes to enhance the flavour of local wines, is meeting with
some early success. 

Bruce Ewert of L'Acadie Vineyards has teamed up with the National
 Research Council, Agriculture Canada and the province to explore the
 Old World wine making technique.



"It's not just simple desiccation; there are unique flavour 
profile changes,'' Ewert said in a release.

In Europe, particularly Italy, grape drying is an old tradition
in wine making designed to enhance a wine's flavour, but this is the
first time it's been done with Nova Scotia grapes.

With support from the NRC's Industrial Research Assistance
Program Ewert has created a red wine using locally grown grape
varieties including Marechal Foch, Luci Kuhlmann and Leon Millot red grapes. "There's a lot of optimism for the Nova Scotia wine industry.
And at this early stage, research is critical to our growth,'' he
 said.



The research project involves regulating and varying specific
drying factors, such as humidity and air speed at the surface of the grapes. Ewert monitors the resulting physiological changes within the
 grapes, principally sugar levels, as they dry. 

The research has already paid dividends at the 2008 All Canadian
Wine Awards,

 L'Acadie's inaugural red wine from dried grapes, labeled
 Alchemy, won gold and Leon Millot Soleil, a sweet red wine made from
 dried grapes, won silver.