Through an Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) specialty crops grant awarded to the Iowa Grape Growers Association (now the Iowa Wine Growers Association) and contracted to the ISU Department of Horticulture, a wine grape cultivar trial was established in 2003 to evaluate the adaptability, productivity, and wine-making quality of up to 20 cultivars or advanced selections. Four ISU farms representing different geographic, climatic, and soil conditions were selected for the trial: the Horticulture Station (Hort Station), Ames; the Armstrong Research Farm, Lewis; the Southeast Research Farm, Crawfordsville; and the Northeast Research Farm, Nashua. Cultivars and selections planted in 2003 included Rubiana (GR-7), NY73.136.17, NY84.0101.04, NY70.0809.10, La Crescent, Prairie Star, Cayuga White, Chancellor, De Chaunac, Esprit, Landot 4511, Leon Millot, St. Vincent, and Vidal Blanc. An additional five cultivars (NY76.0844.24, Frontenac Gris, Briana, MN-1211, and MN-1198) were added to the trial in 2004.