Maine, the northernmost of the contiguous United States, is cold much of the year. Not just cold, but bitter cold at times, and frozen. The winter climate is not especially conducive to growing grapes. Many of the varieties commonly grown and used in wine making throughout the world do not have the proper amount of time during the Maine growing season to adequately ripen before the frosts. There are, however, a few short-season varieties that do quite well there. Fredonia is among the most popular and productive of the short season vines in Maine. Delaware grapes also do well in the northern climes, as do seedless varieties.
Fredonia, a sweet red grape closely related to the Concord, is not widely used for wine in much of the country, but in Maine, where the growing season is abbreviated, it is a popular choice among local vineyards. The Delaware grape is often used to produce dry and sweet white wines. It also makes a good sparkling white wine. The sweetest of the short season grapes grown in Maine is the seedless. Seedless grapes have a slight advantage over the other Maine varieties when it comes to wine making, as they can be left on the skins somewhat longer than seeded grapes without risk of turning bitter.
Because so few grape varieties flourish in Maine, the state’s wineries all produce wines with other locally available fruits as well. Pear and strawberry are commonly used in Maine wines, as both a base fruit and a supplemental; even cranberries, in season, will make their way to the vats. Of course, Maine wine would not be complete without blueberries. Blueberries are one of the most versatile fruits for wine making and wines can be made sweet or dry. Additionally, because of the high antioxidant value, blueberry is also one of the most heart-healthy flavors of Maine wine.
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