New Hybrid Grapes Aid Finger Lakes Wine

Like most Cornell students, local winemakers in the Finger Lakes region have to learn how to cope with bitter winters, sickness and fierce competition. Research on hybrid grapes done by Prof. Bruce Reisch, horticultural sciences, however, has produced new disease resistant varieties that can tolerate the icy temperatures of upstate New York and still maintain a flavor quality that some say rivals the sophistication of European wines.