Further down
the page you will find information on each of the four varieties of grapes growing @ 3 - 2 - 4. If I can improve that information, let me know.
Harvest-time notes: 2013
Harvest-time notes: 2013
We who caretake these grapes love them but have minimal experience in
using the fruit. We do have a grape pie recipe, and we do eat the fruit
directly off the vine from time to time--seeds and all. We have a tough time judging when they are perfect to harvest for more disciplined ends. I'll try to monitor them in late summer and add notes here about how they appear to be maturing (or, in other words, how likely it is that the racoons will come around for night harvesting).
.August 3
Not much change. Valiants still taking on color a few at a time, still extremely tart to taste.
July 30
Valiants taking on deep color a bunch at a time, tart to the taste.
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About the Grapes
The following grapes grow as landscape-skyscape vines @ 3 - 2 - 4. They are labeled near the main stock, however, above--where the vines intermingle--it is anybody's guess as to which is which until they ripen--when it is somebody's better guess. Next year I may list them in order of ripening, but this year the only one I am certain about is Valiant; it ripens first.
Valiant
The Valiant Grape, Vitis 'Valiant', is a round blue grape averaging up to half inch in diameter with skin that can be easily removed from the flesh, making it excellent for juices and fresh eating. This hardy, vigorous vine is very productive and an annual bearer. It ripens in late August and can survive temperatures down to -35 degrees with little to no winter injury. It also produces fruit in a short season, and the fruit is tart and excellent for eating, making jelly and for delicious grape juice. It produces grapes with low acid levels and high sugars.
Swenson Red
is a firm, meaty red table grape with a unique fruity flavor with strawberry notes. This was the first grape released from the breeding efforts of Elmer Swenson, and is a favorite among grape breeders and hobbyists.[1] Though it is known as a red, its actual color changes depending on climate. In cooler areas it will be blue, and in very warm areas it will be a translucent green. This is because many pigments inherited from Vitis vinifera only set during relatively cool weather. Swenson Red is one of many successful cold hardy grape crosses involving the parent Minnesota 78. The pollinator parent for the cross is Seibel 11803 (Rubiland). Swenson Red has a female sibling named ES417 which has very similar characteristics which is a likely candidate for further breeding.
La Crosse
is a modern hybrid cultivar of wine grape, mostly grown in North America. It produces grapes suitable for making fruity white wines similar to Riesling or as a base for blended wines. The grapes also make a good seeded table grape for eating. It has the benefits of early ripening and when hardened properly in the fall it is winter hardy to at least -25° F. As such it best suited to growing in more northern climates.
Concord Seedless (Note: To date, "seedless" is a falsehood @ 3 - 2 - 4)
is a seedless blue-black fruit that is produced on this deciduous fruiting vine. This very productive grape has dark blue fruit that resembles Concord in color and flavor but the clusters and berries are slightly smaller and the fruit is seedless. You’ll get all the flavor, vigor and productivity of the original, but you won’t have to deal with the seeds! It even ripens slightly ahead of the original Concord. It is highly regarded as a pie grape and excellent for fresh eating, jam and jelly and ripens in late September. This grape tolerates a wide range of soil conditions, but must have good drainage.
Concord grapes
are a cultivar derived from the grape species Vitis labrusca (a.k.a. fox grape) which are used as table grapes, wine grapes and juice grapes. They are often used to make grape jelly, grape juice, grape-flavored soft drinks, and candy. The grape is sometimes used to make wine, particularly kosher wine, though it is not generally favored for that purpose due to the strong "foxy"
(sometimes described as candied-strawberry/musky) flavor.
Traditionally, most commercially produced Concord wines have been
finished sweet, but dry versions are possible if adequate fruit ripeness is achieved.The skin of a Concord grape is typically dark blue or purple, and often is covered with a lighter-coloured "bloom" which can be rubbed off. It is a slip-skin variety, meaning that the skin is easily separated from the fruit. Concord grapes have large seeds and are highly aromatic. The Concord grape is particularly prone to the physiological disorder Black leaf.[1]
In the United States 417,800 tons were produced in 2011.[2] The major growing areas are the Finger Lakes District of New York, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, Southwestern Michigan, and the Yakima Valley in Washington.[3]
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