Grape Varieties for Connecticut

PP032 (12/97R)

By Dr. Sharon M. Douglas
Department of Plant Pathology and Ecology
The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station
123 Huntington Street
P. O. Box 1106
New Haven, CT 06504-1106

Telephone: (203) 974-8601 Fax: (203) 974-8502
Email: Sharon.Douglas@ct.gov

 Grapes are becoming increasingly more popular in backyard plantings throughout Connecticut. This is due, in part, to the development and availability of new, more hardy cultivars. This list is intended to provide general information on table or dessert and wine grapes which are at least medium hardy in the Connecticut climate. While some of the cultivars have been evaluated in Connecticut, others have been reported to do well in similar climates. This list is not all-inclusive but highlights cultivars with attributes which make them popular.

Table or Dessert Grapes:

Color Cultivar Ripening Season Description
White Edelweiss Very early ripening Fruit: sweet, high sugar. Vine: vigorous, hardy
Himrod Very early ripening Seedless. Fruit: medium size, golden yellow, excellent flavor
Interlaken Very early ripening Seedless. Fruit: small, golden, good. Vine: moderately hardy
Lakemont Midseason ripening Seedless. Fruit: medium size, high quality
Seneca Very early ripening Fruit: European type, firm, crisp, sweet. Vine vigorous, productive, moderately hardy.
Red Canadice Early ripening Seedless. Fruit: medium size, firm, delicate flavor. Dessert, jelly, or wine. Vine: hardiness similar to Concord.
Catawba Late season ripening Fruit: good quality, suitable for jelly or wine.
Reliance Very early ripening. Seedless. Fruit: rich flavor, tender skin. Vine: vigorous, productive, hardy.
Suffolk Red Midseason ripening Seedless. Fruit: large, excellent quality. Vine: moderately hardy.
Swenson Red Very early ripening Fruit: medium-large, firm texture. Vine: vigorous, productive, very hardy.
Black Buffalo Midseason ripening Fruit: slipskin (like Concord), juicy, sweet. Vine: very vigorous, productive.
Concord Midseason ripening. Excellent flavor. Old favorite for jelly, juice, wine.
Glenora Early ripening Seedless. Fruit: medium to large, juicy, skin tender.
Steuben Midseason ripening Fruit: excellent flavor. Vine: vigorous, very productive, very hardy.
Worde Early ripening. Fruit: similar to Concord. Vine: suitable for short season, very hardy, very vigorous,productive.

Wine Grapes:

Color Cultivar Ripening Season Description
White Aurora (Siebel 5279) Early ripening Good wine grape
Cayuga White Midseason ripening Excellent for wine, flavor neutral, light. Vine: vigorous, very productive, moderately hardy.
Seyval, Seyve-Villard 5276 Midseason ripening Excellent wine grape. Vine: medium vigor, good disease resistance.
Villard blanc Late ripening. Good wine grape. Vine: high yielding, moderately hardy.
Red Baco noir Midseason ripening. Fruit: small, blue-black, seedy. Wine: red, fruity, light. Vine: very vigorous, good disease resistance.
Chambourcin Late ripening Fruit: high yield, good acid and sugar. Wine: tart, Claret type. Vine: medium vigor, moderately hardy.
Marechal Foch Early ripening. Fruit: black, small. Wine: outstanding Burgundy type red. Vine: medium vigor, hardy.
Villard noir Late ripening. Fruit: good yield, good acid and sugar. Wine: good, neutral. Vine: low vigor, hard

Summary

Grapes are becoming increasingly popular for backyard plantings and for personal consumption. In part, this is because of the availability of new cultivars which are winter-hardy and disease- and pest- resistant. This fact sheet lists the table or dessert and wine grapes that can be successfully grown in Connecticut and provides brief descriptions of their attributes.