North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Kevin Moore <aleguy33@yahoo.com>]

I remember seeing a piece on a muscadine winery in Carolina that made purportedly awesome table wines from muscadine varietals. For the most part, muscadine volunteers are a weed problem for me here, but I would be interested to know what varietals make good table wines instead of the really sweet wines that everyone in Louisiana seems to make. (They may not be Muscadine volunteers because the wild grapes do form in bunches, but I have never let them ripen. I assumed they were probably worthless.)

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From: Lon J. Rombough <lonrom@hevanet.com>
To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Thursday, May 21, 2009 8:35:19 PM
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Fw: Black Monukka Grape Opinions

If you live where muscadines grow, odds are good your other grapes aren't going to live long.  If you want bunch grapes you'll need to get varieties resistant to Pierce's Disease,  a bacterial disease that attacks grapes.  Muscadines  are resistant, or able to tolerate it, but it kills or seriously weakens bunch grapes not bred to resist it.    Besides many grapes bred by T.V. Munson, there are some from Florida and Mississippi programs that are resistant.  Florida grapes include Stover, Conquistador and Lake Emerald, to name a few. Mississippi grapes include MissBlue and MissBlanc.  I believe I mentioned some of the ones from Munson earlier.
-Lon Rombough
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Grapes, writing, consulting, my book, The Grape Grower, at http://www.bunchgrapes.com  Winner of the Garden Writers Association "Best Talent in Writing" award for 2003.
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On May 21, 2009, at 6:14 PM, Ron wrote:

 
Admittedly I am a grape novice and I don't remember my criteria for selecting what I did, but from now on if I need to replace something I'll make southern hardiness the prime factor.  Any fruit is better than none.  If anybody in my region has an variety that does really well for them, I would like to know.
 
For what it's worth, about 4 years ago I planted one of each Fredonia, White Niagara, Blue Concord, Red Catawba and Himrod.
 
The Concord was not thriving one year and then died the following winter so was replaced by Jupiter.   The following winter the Fredonia died and is being replaced by the Black Monukka.  I only have room for 5 table grapes. 
 
However, parallel to them are 3 Muscadines: one called Dixie Red, a Fry Bronze, and one we call Jane's Purple because our friend by that name gave it to us.
 
Thanks for all your comments,
Ron: Zone 7b, NW Georgia