ABC Wednesday: Grapes Varieties
The letter for this week on ABC Wednesday is G. G for me is Grapes. My husband loves grapes too but one thing is he wanted when it comes to eating grapes, a white Concord grapes. I still vividly remember when I was younger, I always wanted to eat grapes but my family can’t afford to buy a lot of them, so we only ate what we have only for special occasions such as Christmas and New Year. It was way back when I was still in the Philippines. So, when I came here, I get tired of it. I would say, I was burned of eating too much grapes.
Do you know that there are a lot of characteristics of grapes? According to University of Minnesota, grapes can grow in almost any part of Minnesota if varieties adapted to our cold, dry winters and short growing season are chosen.
The following is a partial list of varieties. These varieties were chosen because of their winter hardiness and/or quality.
Aurore - early ripening and fairly hardy white wine grape, growers were disappointed with its mediocre wine quality and susceptibility to both black rot and splitting at harvest time.
Beta - Beta’s popularity arose from extreme hardiness and acceptable juice and jelly quality. At present, there are newer varieties (such as Valiant) which may be as hardy and are certainly higher in quality. Beta wine tends to be quite poor, but jelly is very flavorful.
Bluebell - is currently being rediscovered by growers and nurseries. It is recommended for those interested in a high quality labrusca-type grape for fresh eating, juice, or jelly. It has sufficient hardiness to be left on the trellis over winter in the southern half of the state. Bluebell is resistent to most diseases.
Canadice - this is a relatively new, pink, seedless variety from the New York State Experiment Station at Geneva, New York, worthy of trial (with winter protection), but not an outstanding performer to date.
Concord - is the most widely planted grape east of the Rockies, and it popular in Minnesota, too. Although considered “very hardy” in other states, it is not dependably hardy in Minnesota. These facts, together with its late ripening date, make it a relatively poor choice for our area. Alternatives include Bluebell, Fredonia, Van Buren, and Worden.
De Chaunac - is a French hybrid wine variety that has made some palatable red wines in Minnesota. Although a heavy yielding cultivar, it is not grown as extensively as Foch or Millot, primarily because the latter two are earlier ripening. De Chaunac has a large cluster and should be cluster thinned to avoid overcropping.
Edelweiss - is a large-clustered, white variety that has good quality as a table grape as long as it is picked promptly. When completely ripe its labrusca flavor becomes too strong for many palates. Edelweiss is also sometimes used for wine, but again, it should be harvested early. This variety has proven to be less than reliably hardy in central Minnesota, so winter mulching is recommended. Its young shoots tend to be unusually brittle so extra care is needed when tying these vines.
Elvira - is a white variety of Vitis labrusca and Vitis riparia parentage. While it is hardy enough to be grown without winter protection on good sites in Minnesota, Elvira’s wine has a foxy flavor and is frequently acidic.
Esprit - is a relatively new white wine variety developed locally by Elmer Swenson. To date, late ripening and marginal hardiness have discouraged widespread planting.
Marechal Foch - This French hybrid grape is the most widely grown variety in Minnesota and has frequently produced some good quality red wines. In addition to being very early ripening, Foch is one of the hardiest French hybrids. Unfortunately, in Minnesota it still requires winter protection for consistent cropping. The small black berries can be very attractive to birds and in a rich soil this vine can frequently have excess vigor. As its clusters are small, it should not be pruned severely.
Fredonia - is a blue labrusca table grape. It is similar to Concord except that it is earlier ripening, has larger berries, and its quality is a bit lower. In Minnesota, it should be laid down each winter for good production.
Himrod - this variety from Geneva Experiment Station in New York State is a white seedless table grape descended from the familiar Thompson Seedless cultivar. Although its flavor is outstanding, Himrod’s berries tend to be small and its clusters are frequently straggly. It is particularly vulnerable to winter injury.
Kay Gray - is one of the Swenson varieties widely planted in our region in recent years. Its virtues include early ripening, low acid levels, disease resistance, and good winter hardiness. On the negative side, its clusters tend to be small, and winemakers have sometimes experienced difficulty making Kay Gray into a high quality wine.
La Crosse - has shown the potential to make some pleasant wines that reflect its Seyval parentage. The vines should be covered for best results.
Leon Millot - is a sister seedling of Foch and is very similar to it in many ways. By comparison, Millot is slightly earlier ripening, more susceptible to powdery mildew, less hardy, and may make a higher quality red wine.
The rules of this award is pretty simple:
