Suburban soil, climate suits some grape varieties just fine

Rarely mistaken for Napa Valley or the wine regions of France, the suburbs are coming into their own as a place for growing grapes and making wine.

The secret is selecting the right grapes for the climate, soil and other aspects of the "terrior" or general environment, said Mary Ellen Hogan of Urban Harvest, which sells wine and other gourmet foods in downtown Arlington Heights.

It's the knowledge from centuries of growing grapes and making wine that has brought fame to regions like Burgundy, Bordeaux and Champagne, she said.

But the soil and climate at Valentino Vineyard & Winery's 10 acres in Long Grove are excellent and produce 20 varieties of grapes that lead to award-winning wines, said owner Rudolph Valentino DiTommaso.

"Napa cools off at night. It cools off here at night," he said. That temperature plunge from 90 to the high 50s does something to the grapes. And since buds emerge earlier in California they could get frost bitten or frozen there, too.

"We rarely have a freeze after bud break," he said. "Once I lost 10 or 15 percent of the fruit," he said.

One of several vintners in the area, DiTommaso also sells grape vines to homeowners in the spring for about $12 a vine. And he promises each purchase carries lots of advice.

Varieties you might consider at first are Marechal Foch, St. Croix and Canadice.

Others recommended for Illinois include Chambourcin, Seyval, Vignoles, Chardonel, Norton and Vidal, according to an online report from the University of Illinois Extension service.

As you might guess, winter hardiness is an issue when selecting grape vines for the suburbs. Merlot and pinot noir might not survive the cold, the report said.

Hybrids have been developed especially to hold up to our weather, and DiTommaso warns against planting grapes that ripen late in the season, such as Ventura. In fact, he has pulled out Ventura vines to plant other varieties.

You can grow a few vines on an arbor just to add to the charm of your patio, but you should plant at least six if you want to make wine, said DiTommaso. You can mix and match varieties, he said.

If you have more space, you might want to copy the lush, European feeling that rows of plants on rolling land give his vineyard.

And when you harvest your grapes and it's time to make the wine, you can have your friends over for the pressing.

But if you dream of a festival with Sophia Loren dancing in your vats, that's not the way it's done here in the suburbs. Stainless steel is the rule, said DiTommaso. Health departments have probably even reached the villages of Italy.

<p class="factboxtext12col"><b>Here are tips for suburban grape growers from Valentino DiTommaso, owner of Valentino Vineyards & Winery in Long Grove.</b></p> <p class="factboxtext12col">•Birds are a problem. Shaking bleach bottles with BBs inside can scare away any munchers. Colorful Mylar scare tape floating in the breeze helps, too.</p> <p class="factboxtext12col">•To prevent powdery mildew, DiTommaso sprays the vines with one cup of milk mixed with nine cups of water.</p> <p class="factboxtext12col">•The fertilizer he uses is Milorganite. He no longer uses weed killer around the vines, preferring to grow organically.</p> <p class="factboxtext12col">•Do not plant your vines too densely, they need airflow.</p> <p class="factboxtext12col">•A tip found on our own: The University of Wisconsin Extension has a respected booklet called "Growing Grapes in Wisconsin." It can be viewed free or purchased at http://learningstore.uwex.edu</p>