Rare grapes arrive in Niagara

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Rare grape varieties have taken root at Niagara College’s teaching vineyards.

Last month, students and staff planted georgian vines at the campus vineyards in Niagara-on-the-Lake, some of which are thousands of years old. Until recently, georgian vines have been isolated from the modern world and have been distributed only in the Soviet Union.

It’s unclear at this point how the vines will perform, but Gavin Robertson of Niagara College is hopeful. “They’re known to be cold hearty, so in our climate we thought it would be particularly valuable to research and put these varieties in the ground and see how they perform.”

The vines are expected to produce fruit as early as 2017.