Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc can produce excellent wine grapes and wine in New Jersey, but the effect of cluster thinning on optimal yields has not been established. This study suggests that high quality grapes and wines can be made from these varieties under various climatic conditions and without the necessity of economically unsustainably low yields that can result from cluster thinning.
Grant support: USDA NESARE and from Coia Vineyards, the Outer Coastal Plain Vineyard Association, and Rutgers NJAES.