The vineyard is comprised of 294 vines, set in 14 rows, 21 plants per row; half Frontenac, half Traminette, both cold-hardy varieties of winemaking grapes. A usable yield will be produced by 2013.
The heavy lifting (cutting down trees and constructing the trellis super-structure), however, was done by residents of a nearby halfway house, augmented on occasion by work crews performing court-imposed community service. Grass was planted in the rows by mid-September...on time and under budget.
The master plan is to establish enough vineyards in Cleveland so that the ultimate goal of building an inner-city winery becomes a reality. However, even if the winery never comes to pass, the effort of rebuilding the community, and the new friends made in the process, has made the project very worthwhile.
