Construction of grape-research lab in Geneva to start this fall

GENEVA — Cornell University says that construction of the National Grape Improvement Center at the Cornell AgriTech campus in Geneva is expected to start this fall. Cornell and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) broke ground for construction on June 26, the office of U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D–N.Y.) said in a separate announcement that same day. Cornell anticipates the project will be completed in early 2027. The project is happening a few years after Schumer secured a nearly $69 million federal investment for it, the senator’s office said in announcing the project. The upcoming facility — which will cover more than 70,000 square feet — will help establish Geneva and the Finger Lakes as the “center of innovation and [research and development (R&D)] for wine and viticulture,” Schumer’s office said. It will bring new technology and top scientists to ensure New York’s and America’s wine grapes are the “highest quality, hardy against diseases, and thrive in diverse climate conditions in order to produce wines that will be renowned worldwide,” the office added. “From the wines made here on Seneca Lake to concords grown for juice & jelly, this region has time and time again proven itself as the leader in innovation when it comes to America’s grape culture,” Schumer said in the announcement. “This massive 70,000 square foot lab will help cement the Finger Lakes legacy within the global wine industry and marks the start of a new chapter for something greater. In 2018, I promised to push for this center and secured the $70 million federal investment to make today possible. Now with shovels hitting the ground we can finally pop the cork to say the future of America’s wine will flow through the Finger Lakes.” The facility will house and enhance the USDA’s Grape Genetics Research Unit, which for years was limited by its small, leased space from Cornell, Schumer’s office said. It’ll also house the USDA’s Plant Genetic Resources Unit, which will improve the cultivation of other vital New York crops like apples and tart cherries and new crops like hemp. Schumer’s office cited the National Association of American Wineries’ 2022 National Economic Impact Study of the Wine Industry as indicating the New York wine industry has created 92,731 jobs, generating $5.64 billion in annual wages, and contributing nearly $15 billion in direct economic impact to New York state.