September 12, 1997
Source: September 22, 1997; Ontario Farmer Daily
COLD RESISTANT TRANSGENIC GRAPEVINES. From Agnet of September 22, 1997. Ontario Farmer Daily.
Premier Mike Harris recently helped plant one of 75 transgenic grapevines developed in Ontario to produce a stress-resistant "super-grape" that could revolutionize the growing of grapes in Ontario and around the world. "This is an historic day for Ontario's grape-growers and the Ontario wine industry," said Premier Harris. "These vines could dramatically change the grape-growing and wine-making industry not only in Canada but worldwide." The vinifera vine was developed by Chateau des Charmes Wines, Ltd. in Niagara-on-the-Lake and researchers at the University of Guelph and the Industrial Research Assistance Program of the National Research Council.
It is designed to be more resistant to cold. Researchers gave the vine a gene from the Arabidopsis, a wild plant growing in Canada related to
cauliflower and broccoli. This is believed to be the first field trial of a transgenic vine anywhere in the world.
The vine is expected to have a greater resistance to cold of between three and five degrees Celsius, enough to avoid serious crop damage when winter temperatures fall to minus 25 degrees Celsius. In 1993, 50 per cent
of the Ontario vinifera and French-hybrid crop was lost due to the cold at
a cost of $30 million. The vine was planted by Premier Harris and Paul
Bosc, president of Cheatea des Charmes Wines Ltd., on the 100-hectare (240
acres) Chateau des Charmes vineyard in Niagara-on-the-Lake. "These vines
have been given a winter jacket," said Bosc. "There will be no change in
the flavour, colour, or texture of the grape and it will still produce the
finest Cabernet Franc." They were joined by David Tsubouchi, Minister of
Consumer and Commercial Relations, who oversees the wine industry, and
Noble Villeneuve, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
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