Aromella, the new hybrid grape variety
The Finger Lakes Region of upstate New York is home to Cornell University and a collection of wine enthusiasts tied to the Ivy League University. Recently they have produced a wine made from a newly developed hybrid grape, Aromella. This white grape variety is the first new grape the school has developed since 2006 and produces a fruity white with hints of pineapple, floral and citrus. Similar to a Moscato, the wine will be popular with lovers of sweet whites.
The wine is available only at Goose Watch winery in a small amount as it begins to get exposure. Because this is a new strain of grape it will take a few generations of vines to see how well it does. While it is recognized as winter hardy and as having a decent resistance to common molds, time will tell how it develops. The first Aromella grapes were planted in 1976.
Goose Watch likes more unique, experimental wines and also carries two other wines made from grapes developed at Cornell University, one in 1996 and one in 2006. The grapes are hybrids, which means they are developed using tradition European grapes and native American ones. While the European grapes are considered better quality, the North American ones are better fit for the climate in upstate New York which is far less moderate than Italy, France and Spain.
Trivia:
Aromella was named by Michael Borboa, a California winemaker and songwriter.