Prairie Star

This is a mid-season white wine grape from Elmer Swenson. It is usually harvested at 20 to 22 Brix during the third week in September in the St. Paul area. Prairie Star has long, slightly loose clusters that, on heavy soils or on grafted vines, can average 177 g (range 120-240 g). On lighter or less fertile soils, cluster size will be closer to the lower end of this range and production will be less. Berries are small-medium, averaging 2.5 g. The fruit matures to excellent sugar and acidity for white winemaking. The typical wine from Prairie Star is neutral, but not foxy. It has a fullness in the mouth and finish that is uncommon among our hybrid grape varieties. In some years, wines from Prairie Star develop a delicate floral nose that allow them to stand as single variety wines. In most years, however, Prairie Star is best used as a blending component to add body and finish to thinner white wines. The vine is one of the hardiest white wine varieties, suffering little damage in all but the harshest, -40 F (-40 C) winters. At some Minnesota vineyards, it has survived even these conditions with little injury. Prairie Star also is rather resistant to mildew diseases, with the exception of Black Rot and Anthracnose, to which it is moderately susceptible. Poor fruit set has been observed in some seasons at a few sites. This variety has a tendency for its shoots to break off in strong winds early in the season. Low cordon training systems, using catch wires to secure the shoots, should be explored to prevent this problem. High cordon training systems should be avoided. It was developed from a cross of E.S. 2-7-13 x E.S. 2-8-1. Perfect flowers.