Super cold hardy (SCH) grapes are a new class of wine grapes that have been bred recently by the University of Minnesota breeding program. This research was developed to better understand the effects of training system and canopy architecture on the SCH cultivar 'Marquette'. The objectives were to compare fruit chemistry, canopy growth, and three different trellis systems; Geneva Double curtain (GDC), High Wire Cordon (HWC), and a new experimental moving trellis (MT). Studies were performed at Horticulture Teaching and Research Center (HTRC) and Southwest Michigan Research and Education Center (SWMREC) during the 2012 and 2013 growing seasons. Due to frost events in 2012, two populations of shoots and the fruit associated with each type of shoot were tracked throughout the growing season. The results from these two populations had influences on canopy development and structure, fruit chemistry, and on wine quality. The experiments conducted in 2013 focused on the influences of canopy densities and crop level on the vines in regards to canopy structure and fruit quality. Fruit and must chemical profiles were similar from seasonal and harvest samples but statistical differences were found after fermentation. In conclusion, these studies proved that training system and shoot type all have slight impacts on fruit quality during the growing season but has large impacts in the wines produced. -- Abstract.
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