Northern Shrub Fruit: Applications for Wine

By Bob Thaden, Tongue River Vineyard & Winery – Miles City, Montana

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With the right fruit, techniques, and care, you can produce complex, flavorful wines from hardy northern fruits like chokeberries, haskaps, juneberries (A.K.A. serviceberries, saskatoons), and cherries. These Northern shrub fruits offer incredible diversity and resilience, and they’re perfectly suited for small-scale growers and craft winemakers in colder climates. Whether you’re planting your first bush or pressing your first gallon, these fruits can help you build a unique and sustainable wine business—or just stock your cellar with amazing homegrown vintages.

Getting Started: Key questions to ask yourself before planting or pressing:

  • Are you already growing fruit? If so, what kinds?
  • Why do you want to grow fruit – for a hobby or commercial use?
  • How much do you plan to grow?
  • How will you use the fruit? Fresh sales, jam, wine?
  • If commercial, who are your potential buyers? Have you asked what ripeness or quality standards they need?

Site Selection: Reliable water supply is a must.

  • Know your water rights.
  • Test water pH.
  • Consider using filters and drip irrigation.
  • Understand your system's efficiency—calculate how many gallons/hour your setup can deliver and how many feet of fruit rows you can irrigate.

Climate and Season Length: Use Growing Degree Days (GDD) to estimate heat units available in your area.

  • Haskaps need fewer GDDs (~1500–1700).
  • Grapes often need 2200+ GDDs.
  • Check your average frost dates and match fruit varieties to your actual season length.
  • Tool: GreenCast

Soil Basics

  • Test your soil with a simple jar test to show sand, silt, and clay ratios.
  • pH Range: Most fruits prefer pH 6.0–7.0; some berries thrive in acidic soils.
  • Soil Health: Add compost and check for nutrient availability with tissue and soil tests.

Pest & Wildlife Management

  • Fencing: Deer fencing is essential—use heavy-duty plastic and wire H-braces.
  • Netting: Protect crops from birds with full-row netting.
  • Pests: Watch for robins, cane borers, hornworms, and spotted wing drosophila.
  • Rabbits: Cottontails love bark and can kill young plants—protect your base stems.

Fruit Profiles for Wine

 

Fruit
Flavor Profile
Hardiness / Growing
Soil / Water Needs
Wine Characteristics
Other Notes
Amelanchier
 (Juneberry)
Mild blueberry with apple/almond
Very hardy
Tolerant of high pH; needs water during fruiting

Light, berry-forward wines.
Birds are major pests
Aronia
 (Chokeberry)
Astringent, tannic
Hardy to -40°F
Moist, enriched soil
Can make great or awful wine; very pigmented
Very high in antioxidants; best fermented on skins.
Lonicera (Haskap)
Blueberry, raspberry, strawberry
Extremely hardy; early ripening
pH tolerant
Excellent for wine, juice, jelly
Nearly invisible seeds
Malus (Apple)
Depends on variety; crabs are tart
Varies
General orchard soil
Great for cider or ice wine
Russets preferred for cider
Prunus (Cherries)
Acid + sugar balance (e.g., Carmine Jewel)
Hardy to -50°F
Rich, well-drained
Excellent cherry wines
Late picking enhances sugar; best when nearly black.
Prunus (Chokecherries)
Astringent, earthy
Hardy
Adapted to wild growth
Traditional wine source
Black, red, and rare yellow varieties
Prunus (Sand Cherry)
Strong black cherry flavor
Extremely hardy
Tolerant
Tannic, intense flavor
Beautiful spring blossoms
Prunus (Plum)
Tart, pulpy
Hardy
Moist, well-drained
Great semi-sweet wine; suspended solids
Needs good fining (e.g., bentonite)
Pyrus (Pears)
Crisp, aromatic
Hardy
General orchard needs
Golden Spice makes rich, dry/semi-sweet wine
Shred and ferment on pulp for best results.
Ribes (Currants & Gooseberries)
Tart (black, red, white)
Hardy
Lower pH preferred
Sharp, vivid wines
Primocane and floricane types offer different fruiting windows; fruit attractive to birds
Rosa (Rose Hips)
Strawberry-like, very tannic
Hardy
Requires frost to develop flavor
Unique, tannic wine
Rugosa produces largest hips
Rubus (Raspberries, Blackberries)
Sweet-tart
Hardy, varies by type
Acid-loving—prep soil with compost, peat moss, and sulfur
Complex, aromatic wines
Primocane vs Floricane types affect harvest
Rhubarb
Tart, refreshing
Hardy
Rich, manured soils
Crisp, unique wine base
Common in homestead wines; good in fruit blends
Sambucus (Elderberry)
Earthy, musky
Hardy
Moist, rich soils
Generally poor for wine
Better for jelly
Vitis (Grapes)
Varies by cultivar
Depends on cultivar; Frontenacs are extremely cold-hardy
Well-drained, pH 6–7
Classic wine grapes (Frontenac, La Crescent, etc.)
Even grapes struggle some years—have a backup plan with shrub fruits!