Cornell University grape breeder Bruce Reisch will officially name and release a new red wine grape during the Viticulture 2003 Conference at the Buffalo Convention Center in Buffalo, NY, on Feb. 20 at 1:30 pm.

Tested as GR 7 and NY 34791, the grape was developed by fruit breeders and enologists at Cornell's New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, in Geneva, NY. It was selected from a cross of 'Buffalo' x 'Baco noir', made in 1947.

"The grape produces good quality table wines and is highly suitable for blending," said Reisch, who directs Cornell's grape breeding program at the Experiment Station. GR 7 is disease resistant, extremely cold hardy, and very productive. Reisch affectionately calls it a "working man's red."

"GR 7 has much improved viticulture and wine making characteristics over older red hybrid varieties. It makes a good quality wine with attractive cherry flavors," said Station enologist Thomas Henick-Kling, who helped in the grape's development along with viticulturist Robert Pool (who led the breeding program in the 1970s), and research specialist Steve Luce.

GR 7 is already under cultivation in Finger Lakes vineyards and used commercially for wine.

"GR 7's good color and moderate acidity are its strong points," said Steve DiFrancesco, the winemaker at Glenora Wine Cellars, in Dundee, NY. Glenora has been using GR 7 in its Classic and Bobsled reds for over eight years.

In its 125-year history, the Experiment Station at Geneva has developed and released 243 different varieties of fruit for commercial and home garden use. Of those, 52 have been grapes. GR 7 is the sixth wine grape to be released. Other important wine grapes from Geneva include 'Cayuga White' and 'Traminette'.