Choose your cultivars according to both your climate
(see section above on the site) and whether you want them for table use
(eating fresh), juice and jams, or wine making.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with different uses.
Just because a grape is listed as a wine cultivar, doesn’t mean
it might not be quite tasty too eaten fresh or made into juice.
Likewise, some listed as table grapes make good home wines. Muscadine
cultivars are sweeter and improved over the species, and although good
fresh are often best in jams and making a sweet, dessert wine.
You may see all the grapes other than muscadines referred to as
“bunch grapes” since their fruit are more in clusters or bunches
than most muscadines.
When choosing a cultivar, look for disease-resistant
cultivars, especially if you live in a humid area prone to diseases on
plants. You may see the term
“cracking” or “splitting” which refers to soft fruit skins
splitting, allowing diseases to enter and fruit to spoil.
Some cultivars are resistant to skins cracking, and you may see
this more often after heavy rains. And
note during what part of the season a particular grape ripens.
Those ripening late often are less prone to eating by birds.
Most grapes are self-fruitful, so cross pollination
is seldom necessary. Brighton is an exception, and one of the few common
varieties that is not self-pollinating, so it needs a partner to bear
fruit. Nursery catalogs will usually state when a pollinator is needed
for any cultivar. Some muscadines are female, so will need a
self-fertile cultivar nearby. Female
muscadines may produce half the yield of self-fertile cultivars.
In the millennia of culture, thousands of kinds of
grapes have appeared and disappeared, but at present the list of
available named cultivars is more manageable but still extensive. A good
policy is to start with a standard cultivar or two.
Why not start out with one or two of the old reliable Concords if
your season is long enough, one of the newer Minnesota cultivars if you
live where it’s cold, or one of the muscadines if you live in the
South? Add others one by
one, as your skill improves, and then, who knows? You may one day become
known as the Bacchus on your block (Bacchus being the Roman god of
wine).
The following are usually available and among the
best for home gardeners in various parts of the country.
You’ll find many more from specialty nurseries.
Table
Grapes | Wine Grapes | Muscadines
Ta
ble Grapes
The
following are good for eating fresh or jams; those best for juice and
wine also are noted. Hardy means into zone 5 usually, very hardy into
zone 4 (see Wine Grapes below). Season
is often listed relative to Concord, its ripening considered mid-season.
Cultivars have seeds unless noted as seedless.
Many seedless grapes are originally from crosses of Thompson
Seedless and Black Monukka. Those
marked * are among the most popular.
Those listed with blue or black fruit are often more purple or
blue-black; those listed as white are often yellow-green.
Cultivar
|
Fruit
color
|
Season
|
Comments
|
Alden
|
black
|
mid
|
Very
large berries, high yields, prune heavily and cluster thin, juice,
wine with light muscat flavor
|
Beta
|
blue
|
mid
|
Very
hardy, disease resistant, small/tart fruit best for jams
|
Black
Monukka
|
black
|
mid
|
Seedless,
hardy, best where summers are long/hot/dry
|
Bluebell
|
blue
|
early
|
Juice
and jam, hardy
|
Brilliant
|
red
|
early
|
Good
for the South, best eaten fresh, large leaves silvery beneath
|
Buffalo
|
black
|
early
|
Hardy,
good yields, disease resistant, juice, high quality, slipskin,
originally for wines
|
Campbell’s
Early
|
blue
|
early
|
Like
Concord only hardier
|
Canadice*
|
red
|
early
|
Juice,
seedless, hardy, very sweet
|
Catawba
|
red
|
late
|
Hardy,
needs a long growing season
|
Concord*
|
blue
|
mid
|
Hardy,
juice, wine, main juice cv.; also found as a seedless cultivar
|
Delaware
|
red
|
early
|
Hardy,
wine, skin may crack
|
Einset
|
red
|
early
|
Strawberry-like
flavor, resists gray mold, seedless, hardy
|
Flame
|
red
|
late
|
Large
fruit, good for South, the common red in stores, resists cracking
|
Fredonia
|
blue
|
early
|
Large
berries, similar to Concord
|
Glenora
|
black
|
early
|
Seedless,
disease resistant, orange-red fall leaves
|
Golden
Muscat
|
golden
|
mid
|
Best
in a hot, dry climate as fruit crack after rain; citrus flavor,
large fruit
|
Himrod*
|
white
|
early
|
Seedless,
golden when ripe, hardy, honey-like flavor, cane-prune
|
Interlaken
|
white
|
very
early
|
Seedless,
some disease resistance, Thompson seedless x Ontario hybrid
|
Jupiter
|
blue
|
early
|
Hardy,
seedless, disease resistant, mild and sweet Muscat, good for the
South
|
Kay
Gray
|
white
|
early
|
Disease
resistant, juice, wine, very hardy (MN)
|
King
of the North
|
blue
|
mid
|
Very
hardy, juice, vigorous, fruits at a young age
|
Lakemont
|
white
|
mid
|
Seedless,
disease resistant, thin the large clusters, hardy
|
Marquis
|
white
|
mid
|
Large
clusters, seedless, Labrusca flavor when ripe
|
Mars*
|
blue
|
early
|
Good
disease resistance, hardy, vigorous, seedless, good for the South
|
Moore’s
Diamond
|
white
|
mid
|
Hardy,
juice, good for dry wine or champagne
|
Neptune*
|
white
|
mid
|
Good
for the South, large clusters, mild and fruity, seedless, resists
cracking
|
Niagara*
|
white
|
mid
|
Hardy,
wine, juice, most popular native white
|
Ontario
|
white
|
early
|
Hardy,
disease resistant
|
Princess
|
white
|
late
|
Sweet,
also good for wine, good for the South, seedless
|
Reliance*
|
red
|
mid
|
juice,
seedless, hardy, skins may crack in wet weather, good for the
South
|
Remaily
|
white
|
mid
|
Mild
European-style flavor, moderately hardy
|
Saturn
|
red
|
mid
|
Good
for the South, thin clusters, mild flavor
|
Schuyler
|
black
|
late
|
Hardy,
juice, also light red wines, needs cluster thinning, Zinfandel x
Ontario cross
|
Seneca
|
white
|
very
early
|
Old
cultivar, few seeds, hardy, canes not spurs produce fruit,
susceptible to powdery mildew
|
Sheridan
|
blue
|
late
|
Hardy,
vigorous, fruit store well
|
Steuben
|
black
|
mid
|
Hardy,
few problems, juice, wine, stores well
|
Suffolk
Red
|
red
|
mid
|
Loose
clusters, may have winter damage, Reliance is better choice
|
Sweet
Seduction
|
white
|
mid
|
Golden
yellow fruit, seedless, muscat flavor, good disease resistance
|
Thomcord
|
blue
|
mid
|
Seedless,
cross of Concord and Thompson seedless
|
Thompson
(seedless)
|
white
|
late
|
The
standard found in stores, thin for larger fruit
|
Valiant
|
blue
|
mid
|
Similar
to Beta only less disease resistance and larger fruit, hardy, good
for juice
|
Van
Buren
|
purple
|
early
|
Early
to flower too so good for short seasons, hardy to zone 4, jams,
juice, good for poor soils
|
Vanessa*
|
red
|
early
|
Good
on east and west coasts, hardy, resists cracking, seedless, juice,
pies, some pest resistance
|
Venus
|
blue-black
|
early
|
Good
for the South, juice, red-orange fall leaves
|
Worden*
|
blue
|
early
|
Similar
to Concord only more hardy (zone 4), vigorous, few problems, good
for short seasons
|
Wine
grapes
The
following are generally grown for wines, but those also good for table
use (juice, jams) are noted. A few often used for wine are in the list
of table grapes. Hardy is generally into zone 5; “MN” are varieties
from Minnesota (or MN breeder Elmer Swenson), many of which are even
hardier (into zone 4). “FH”
are French American hybrids, “E” are European cultivars that are
often harder to grow and less hardy. Those
listed with blue fruit are often more purple or blue-black, and are used
for red wines. Those marked
* are among the more popular.
Cultivar
|
Fruit
color
|
Season
|
Comments
|
Aurore
|
white
|
early
|
hardy,
tends to split, hardy; good for sweet wine, blending, FH
|
Baco
Noir
|
red
|
very
early
|
hardy,
needs cluster thinning, good for short seasons and heavy soils;
light wines, FH
|
Black
Spanish
|
black
|
mid
|
One
of best for South, good disease resistance, also table uses
|
Cabernet
Franc
|
red
|
mid
|
E,
better adapted than the next to the East and Midwest
|
Cabernet
Sauvignon*
|
red
|
late
|
E,
needs a long season, susceptible to disease, the famous red wine
of France
|
Cascade
|
blue
|
early
|
Hardy,
FH
|
Catawba*
|
white
|
late
|
Hardy;
sweet wine or champagne, native, FH
|
Cayuga*
|
white
|
mid
|
hardy,
late bloom avoids most frost, vigorous, high yields; light, dry
wine, FH
|
Chambourcin*
|
black
|
mid
|
Tart,
red claret wine with peppery and spicy flavors, FH
|
Chancellor
|
red
|
mid
|
Hardy,
mildew susceptible, FH
|
Chardonel
|
white
|
late
|
Hardy,
Seyval x Chardonnay Ny state hybrid; dry wine, FH
|
Chardonnay*
|
white
|
early
|
E,
famous European grape, fruit may crack after rain, good on west
coast, top white wine grape
|
Chenin
(blanc)
|
White
|
Mid
|
Good
in cool areas where sweeter, fruity
|
Corot
Noir™
|
blue
|
late
|
Hardy;
red wines with cherry and berry aromas
|
De
Chaunac
|
red
|
mid
|
hardy,
needs cluster thinning, similar to Chambourcin, FH
|
Delaware
|
white
|
early
|
Native,
best on fertile soils, fruit may crack with rain, mild flavor
|
Frontenac*
|
blue
|
mid
|
MN,
good disease resistance, large clusters of small fruit
|
Frontenac
Gris
|
white-pink
|
mid
|
MN,
similar to Frontenac and from a bud mutation of it; fruity flavor
white or blush wine
|
Gewürztraminer*
|
white
|
early
|
E,
good in cooler regions, also good table use; sweet wine
|
Horizon
|
white
|
mid
|
hardy,
high yield, fruity wine, FH
|
LaCrescent
|
white
|
early
|
MN,
golden when ripe; apricot flavor sweet wine
|
LaCrosse
|
white
|
early
|
MN,
Seyval parent; spicy aroma wine
|
Leon
Millot*
|
black
|
early
|
Similar
to Marechal Foch only more productive, FH
|
Louise
Swenson
|
white
|
|
MN,
very hardy, good table too
|
Malbec
|
Black
|
Mid
|
Needs
sun, hot days and cool nights; plum notes to wine
|
Marechal
Foch * (Foch)
|
black
|
very
early
|
hardy,
hardy; fruity, light wines or burgundy type, FH
|
Melody
|
white
|
mid
|
Hardy;
fruity (apricot hint) wine, one of best native white hybrids
|
Merlot*
|
Black
|
Mid
|
Berry
notes to wine, good for blending, popular
|
Müller
Thurgeau
|
white
|
early
|
E,
popular in northern European wine regions and in the Pacific
Northwest; for Riesling type wine
|
Muscat
Ottonel
|
white
|
late
|
For
sweet wines, one of several Muscats available
|
Pinot
Gris*
|
white
|
late
|
Thought
a mutant clone of Pinot Noir, Italian clone is Pinot Grigio
|
Pinot
Noir
|
red
|
late
|
E,
classic red French grape, best in Pacific Northwest drier regions
|
Prairie
Star
|
white
|
mid
|
MN,
very hardy, also good fresh; non-foxy flavor, use to fortify
lighter white wines
|
Riesling*
|
White
|
Late
|
For
dry to sweet wines, flowery aroma, best on west coast; top white
wine grape
|
Rougeon
|
red
|
mid
|
Hardy,
high yields; mainly for blending, FH
|
Sabrevois
|
black
|
mid
|
MN,
very hardy, vigorous
|
Sauvignon
Blanc*
|
White
|
Mid
|
Good
flavor, may get gray mold, top white wine grape
|
Seyval*
|
white
|
mid
|
FH,
high yields, prune heavily, disease resistant
|
Seyve
|
white
|
mid
|
Hardy;
wine with fruity aroma, Seyve-Villard 5-276 syn.
|
St.
Croix
|
blue
|
mid
|
MN,
very hardy, large clusters of large sweet fruit, good red wine
|
St.
Pepin
|
white
|
early
|
MN,
similar to LaCrosse only earlier, plant with it for pollination,
table uses too; wines similar to Riesling
|
Swenson
Red
|
red
|
mid
|
MN,
stores well, also good table, may get downy mildew
|
Swenson
white
|
white
|
late
|
MN,
very disease resistant; flowery taste to wine
|
Syrah
(Shiraz)*
|
red
|
early
|
E,
popular in France, Australia and California
|
Traminette
|
white
|
late
|
Good
yields, offspring of Gewurztraminer, hardy, FH
|
Vidal
(blanc)*
|
white
|
late
|
FH,
heavy yield, mildew resistant; good wine aroma
|
Vignoles
(Ravat)*
|
white
|
mid
|
FH,
late to flower; sweet wine with high acidity
|
Viognier
|
White
|
Late
|
May
get powdery mildew, must pick ripe for best wine
|
Zinfandel
|
red
|
mid
|
E,
also good table, best where mild winters and summers; fruity wine
|
Muscadines
Most are self-fertile, but some are
female (F) so need a self-fertile cultivar with male flowers for cross
pollination—these may be seen listed in catalogs as just male. Those
with pink or red to bronze skins are often called “Scuppernongs”.
Those marked * are among the more popular.
Cultivar
|
Fruit
color
|
Season
|
Comments
|
Black
Beauty*
|
Black
|
mid
|
Large
fruit, edible skin, good black, F
|
Black
Fry
|
Black
|
early
|
F,
disease resistance, similar to Fry
|
Carlos
|
bronze
|
early
|
Good
for wine/juice
|
Cowart
|
blue-black
|
mid
|
Disease
resistant
|
Darlene*
|
Bronze
|
mid
|
Large
uniform fruit, one of best bronze, F
|
Dixie
|
red-bronze
|
early
|
|
Fry
|
bronze
|
early
|
F
|
Granny
Val
|
Bronze
|
Mid
|
One
of highest for yields
|
Higgins
|
bronze
|
mid
|
F
|
Hunt
|
black
|
early
|
F
|
Ison*
|
Black
|
Early
|
Good
pollinator, large clusters, good yields
|
Jumbo
|
black
|
mid
|
F,
large fruit, good disease resistance, sweet
|
Late
Fry*
|
Bronze
|
Late
|
High
yields, large clusters, vigorous
|
Loomis
|
black
|
late
|
F
|
Magnolia*
|
bronze
|
mid
|
Good
fresh/wine/juice
|
Nesbit
|
black
|
mid
|
One
of “hardier”
|
Noble
|
black
|
early
|
Some
cold tolerance, good cv. for red wine
|
Pam*
|
bronze
|
early
|
F,
large clusters, edible skin, heavy yields
|
Regal
|
black
|
early
|
|
Scarlett
|
red
|
mid
|
Vigorous,
high yields, disease resistant
|
Southland
|
black
|
mid
|
Good
disease resistance, very sweet
|
Summit
|
bronze
|
mid
|
F
|
Supreme*
|
black
|
mid
|
F,
very large fruit, edible skin, resists disease
|
Tara
|
bronze
|
mid
|
|
Triumph
|
bronze
|
early
|
some
hardiness, fresh or for wine
|
back
to top
|