Alaska's uncertain economy makes it to the New York Times (Fairbanks: living in, cabin)

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by Glitch

I agree with you, it is not really wine unless it is made from grapes. I drink around 10 to 12 bottles of wine per year, and I have never purchased an Alaskan wine. Or one from Washington State either. The best wines come from much further south.

It would have to get considerably warmer than it is today for there to be viable commercial vineyards in Alaska. Somewhere in the neighborhood of a 5°C to 10°C increase in the mean surface temperature of the planet should do the trick.

Of course that will pretty much end the Iditarod.

There's someone around Anchorage who's doing some experimenting and is having some luck. I think that a cool season grape like pinot could do well, especially now that Oregon and Washington are getting too hot for that grape. I seem to remember you as a cab sort of guy, though, and that grape needs a lot of hot sun....

I bought a fruit wine from a much-touted winery in Oregon and couldn't get the swill down. It was horrific, but some people seem to absolutely love it.

[Glitch]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

Alaska Summer Ale is my favorite beer. I'm not a huge beer drinker, but I thought for years that I hated the taste of it until I had some Belgian lambic. Craft beer is a whole different thing than swill such as Budweiser.

After living in Germany, I became a big Pilsner fan. My favorite beer that I can get in the US is Pilsner Urquell from the Czech Republic. Some of the microbreweries in Alaska produce some very nice beer and ale, but have very limited selection of Pilsner beer, if any at all.

Other than local microbrewery beers, I will not buy US made beer.

[Metlakatla]

I like a good Pilsner myself

This article is interesting, what there is of it -- it doesn't say what grapes he's growing...he's doing it in greenhouses so far, which makes sense. I'm pretty sure that cool season grapes wouldn't need any extra heat during the growing season there, so probably all that would be necessary would be hoop houses. Looks like he's growing the vines in-ground:

Is Alaska Ready for a Locally Grown Wine Market? - KTUU.com

I wonder if the Matanuska Experiment Farm is doing much research on grape production

[Glitch]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

There's someone around Anchorage who's doing some experimenting and is having some luck. I think that a cool season grape like pinot could do well, especially now that Oregon and Washington are getting too hot for that grape. I seem to remember you as a cab sort of guy, though, and that grape needs a lot of hot sun....

I bought a fruit wine from a much-touted winery in Oregon and couldn't get the swill down. It was horrific, but some people seem to absolutely love it.

I do indeed prefer a good cabernet sauvignon, as well as vintage ruby port that is at least 20 years old. I am particularly attracted to the complex and lingering flavors of both wines.

It also depends on what I am eating. I very rarely drink a bottle of wine, or two, without a meal to go with it. A good bottle of pinot blanc, for example, would go well with pork loin and sauteed granny-smith apple slices. Or a nice bottle of pinot gris might go well with a savory chicken dish.

I also developed a taste for icewein while I was living in Germany.

[Glitch]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

I like a good Pilsner myself

This article is interesting, what there is of it -- it doesn't say what grapes he's growing...he's doing it in greenhouses so far, which makes sense. I'm pretty sure that cool season grapes wouldn't need any extra heat during the growing season there, so probably all that would be necessary would be hoop houses. Looks like he's growing the vines in-ground:

Is Alaska Ready for a Locally Grown Wine Market? - KTUU.com

I wonder if the Matanuska Experiment Farm is doing much research on grape production

Thanks for the article. There was not much information about how he grows them, other than in a greenhouse. He must heat those greenhouses all winter long. That has got to be a huge expense.

[Metlakatla]

No, grape vines go dormant in the winter; he could leave the heat off fine unless he was growing warm season grapes like tempranillo or shiraz. Otherwise, all he'd have to do is cut them back, mulch them, and close the greenhouse doors. Most pinot roots are fine up to maybe -40.

Where he might run into trouble would be at budbreak, and that also depends on the grape variety. One good severe cold blast is enough to ruin an entire crop, which, now that I think about it, is exactly why he's got them in greenhouses.

I agree that it could end up being quite an expensive undertaking, but I also think that the expense could be considerably circumvented by grape variety choices.

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

Ray, read my previous post. While Glitch is quite right about there being a few wineries in Alaska (and a few that call themselves that but really only produce fruit beverages), Alaska doesn't yet have a commercial vineyard industry. That's what I was typing about.

Met, Denali Winery has also been producing wines made from grapes they buy from around the world, in addition to berries and fruits. And yes, I understand that Alaska does not have a commercial winery.

Then at Bell's Nursery in Anchorage, they have been growing several types of grapes, and that's why I said that your mentioning the growing of grapes was an excellent idea.

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by RayinAK

Met, Denali Winery has also been producing wines made from grapes they buy from around the world, in addition to berries and fruits. And yes, I understand that Alaska does not have a commercial winery.

Ray, my whole point was that there's a difference between a vineyard and a winery and that grape production may become a viable agricultural endeavor in Alaska at some future point. It certainly is interesting to think about -- for me, at least, because I'm a farm girl at heart.

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

Ray, my whole point was that there's a difference between a vineyard and a winery and that grape production may become a viable agricultural endeavor in Alaska at some future point. It certainly is interesting to think about -- for me, at least, because I'm a farm girl at heart.

Understood, and agree with you.

[TKO]

The Silver Gulch Pilsner is one of the better beers I've ever had. Rates right up with there with Urquell and beers I had in Germany. That was my go to Alaska beer. I miss it, though the New Belgian Pilsner I get in NM is very good too. The key with Pils (and most beer) is to find it fresh, ie a brewery that is close to where you are.

I tried the fruity wines they make in Homer and I was not impressed.