NY wine, grape growing industry expects boost from new research center: What to know

GENEVA – It seems appropriate that U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer would hold aloft a bottle of Fox Run Vineyards’ Traminette, made with white hybrid grapes, as part of a groundbreaking ceremony for Cornell University’s National Grape Improvement Center.

“I love New York wines. I drink them all the time,” Schumer said. “I think a glass of wine is good for you."

Schumer, who helped secure nearly $70 million in funding for the National Grape Improvement Center, on Wednesday visited the site where the NGIC will be at the Cornell AgriTech Campus in Geneva.

Calling it an “amazing, amazing thing,” the center represents a dream come true for those in the grape growing and wine industry, said Schumer, who invoked the names of Finger Lakes wine industry pioneers like Marvin Sands, who started the company that is now Constellation Brands, and Dr. Konstantin Frank, who founded the Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery.

“It’s one of the great industries, not just in the Finger Lakes, but all of New York state,” Schumer said.

And the National Grape Improvement Center is expected to boost the grape and wine industry and other agricultural products, such as apples, tart cherries and hemp.

Here’s how.

What great grape things will happen at Cornell AgriTech Campus?

The over 70,000-square-foot facility will house the USDA ARS Grape Genetics Research Unit and USDA ARS Plant Genetic Resources Unit.

Four Cornell University grapevine research projects will move into the research facility.

Artificial Intelligence will aid the efforts of research scientists and farmers, who will be studying how to combat the effects of climate change, new growing seasons because of climate change and invasive pests and diseases.

Cornell AgriTech Goichman Family Director Christine Smart, who also is professor in Cornell’s School of Integrative Plant Science, said the center will not just be a building but will be a hub of grape research and excellence that will help to spur economic development.

“The possibilities are endless,” Smart said.

How will the National Grape Improvement Center affect the wine industry?

The New York wine industry has created more than 92,700 jobs, generating $5.64 billion in annual wages, and contributed nearly $15 billion in direct economic impact to New York state, according to a 2022 economic impact study conducted by the National Association of Wineries.

Xochitl Torres Small, deputy secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture, said work done at the facility will help New York farmers reduce costs, increase resiliency in the face of climate change and add value to small- and medium-size farms.

“This is a new opportunity for farmers driven by farmer innovation,” Torres Small said.

The benefits of the new grape facility will enhance that impact not just in New York but throughout the country, Schumer said, as the industry is facing a huge challenge in climate change.

“This facility will help us stay ahead of the curve,” Schumer said.

What is the Cornell AgriTech Campus?

Cornell AgriTech, which dates back to 1880, is considered a hub for food and agricultural research and discovery in laboratories and 900 acres of fields, orchards and vineyards.

According to its website, scientists have developed over 280 new varieties of fruits and vegetables, pioneered pest control advances and invented ultraviolet pasteurization and the gene gun to improve crops. Horticultural research and production technologies developed here continue to fuel New York state’s wine and cider industries.

In addition to working with berries, vegetables, craft beverages and other products, scientists work with grape growers in the areas of grape breeding, best horticultural practices and disease and pest management. In the past 100 years, Cornell AgriTech has released 59 juice, table and wine grape varieties adapted to cool climates.

This article originally appeared on MPNnow: NY wine industry expects boost from new Geneva grape research center