Hi T-ra,

Welcome to the GW forums!

Down here in zone 5 we leave them unprotected through the winter. Not sure what zone you're in up there, if you'd do anything different. Someone up north there will probably offer a suggestion.

Or....I'd submit your question to the Friut and Orchards forum. I'm sure those experts can help you.

Julie

Here is a link that might be useful: Fruit and Orchards

Julie - thanks for the advice. I had assumed to leave them, but I'm so excited to have grape vines that I hate to do the wrong thing!! As you suggested, I posted the question to the Fruit and Orchards forum....hopefully I'll get some response!
Thanks again!

Grapes vary widely in their cold tolerance. Most won't make it through a brutal winter up north.

I have been growing Mars and Reliance, both seedless varieties and both are rated for zones 5-8. In my zone 5 I get some winter kill every year, but enough survives to carry on the next year. I do not attempt to protect them at all.

For your area I would recomend Jung Seed as a source for grapes cold hardy enough for up north. The other issue is that you need a short season grape otherwise the fruits aren't ripe before the cold hits.

Hopefully what you have is cold hardy and will ripen in time once mature enough, but if not Jungs has a couple that will do well for you.

I grow cold hardy grapes in both Door and Oconto Counties.

Depending on the variety and how well the vine is established (well rooted from the presious Spring minimum; I don't recommend fall planting) winter protection may or may not be required. Tender varieties should be detrellised and burried! That's right burried! Until Spring.

Cold hardy varieties may or may not receive some winter kill depending on the extent of the weather. Ice and severe cold can damage all vines.

Without know the variety I can't give you an exact recommendation but definately protect against deer and rabbits!!!!

Wine grapes that do well in NE Wis. are of the following; Marquette, Frontennac, St. Croix, St. Pepin, ect. Our vineyard consists of 5-acres of these french-american hybrids, and we've been growing, and producing wines since 1995. We leave them uncovered as they can withstand temps to -25-30 degrees. I doesn't pay to plant any other kinds of grapes other than these hybrids, as they cannot withstand our winters.

Here is a link that might be useful: www.troutspringswinery.com