Vineyard (photo by Anita Patterson Peppers courtesy of morguefile.com)

Buffalo and Western New York have long been identified as Rust Belt territory, but the future may see that part of the country emerge as both an important source of clean energy and one of America’s great winegrowing regions.

About a week ago we posted an item indicating that wind power plants could be a useful antidote to the economic malaise of post-industrial Western New York. Now, a Cornell University agriculture scientist thinks it's probable that excellent conditions for growing grapes could put Niagara County on the map as an important winemaking center. Alan Lakso, a Cornell Professor of pomology and viticulture, is directing a year-long survey of New York State that will create color-coded maps showing the best places to plant grapes and establish vineyards.

According to Professor Lakso,

We think Niagara County has great potential because of its similar geography and climate to the Ontario wine and grape country across the Niagara River in Canada around Niagara-on-the-Lake and towards St. Catharines…In many ways, we think that a good place for growing peaches is also a good place for wine grapes. We know Niagara County is excellent for peaches. That probably means that wine grapes will do better there than in many places…Niagara County is an area that has excellent potential that hasn't been taken advantage of yet. If they cultivate it, they could have a fruitful future.

To read an article on the topic from Business First of Buffalo go to: Niagara Co. may be peachy as a locale for wine grapes

To read our previous post on the development of wind power in Western New York go to: Greening the Rust Belt