Valiant is extremely winter hardy and produces small, compact clusters of small berries that ripen reliably. It is used for juice and jelly where other varieties are not hardy enough to be grown.
Maréchal Foch is an early ripening black grape with small berries and clusters, often susceptible to bird predation. It can be made into a variety of wines ranging from light and fruity to full-bodied.
Frontenac Blanc is a white-fruited mutation of Frontenac. The variety is relatively new, early wine evaluation suggests it will produce wines distinctly different from Frontenac Gris.
Baco is an extremely vigorous variety that is best grown on heavy soils. Its fruit is usually high in acid, producing wines of good quality that are deeply pigmented and fruity.
St. Croix produces wines that have been compared to a light to medium burgundy. Sugar content and tannins are low at maturity, but St. Croix has been used both as a varietal and for blending.
Named after the patron saint of Cote d'Or in the Burgundy region of France, St. Vincent can make wine similar to an Italian chianti with cherry and citrus flavors and a long and complex aftertaste. St. Vincent can also make an excellent sparkling rosé.
Not to be confused with cheese, Lemberger is used to produce low acid, varietal wines. It is gaining a reputation in the Finger Lakes region of NY as a variety with good wine potential and easier to grow than Pinot Noir. Lemberger (also known as Blaufränkisch) is a cold-hardy red grape suited to ...
Widely grown in Ohio and Central NY as early as the mid 19th century and widely used for sparkling wine, Catawba was the most popular grape cultivated in the US prior to the introduction of Concord, and was the major variety used for wine production in Ohio prior to Prohibition. Catawba is a spic...
Chardonel is a productive, late-ripening white wine grape with improved winter hardiness over its Chardonnay parent. Can produce an excellent white wine when fruit is mature. Like Chardonnay, wines can be fermented and aged in stainless steel to produce fruit forward wines, or they can be barrel ...
Seyval Blanc is one of the most widely planted white hybrid varieties in cooler regions of the eastern US. Vines are typically overly fruitful and require some cluster thinning.
Chardonel is a productive, late-ripening white wine grape with improved winter hardiness over its Chardonnay parent. Can produce an excellent white wine when fruit is mature. Like Chardonnay, wines can be fermented and aged in stainless steel to produce fruit forward wines, or they can be barrel ...
Canadice produces compact clusters with medium size, pink to light red seedless berries. A slip skin variety with tender and edible skin with a distinct but not overpoweringly labrusca flavor.
Cayuga White is one of the most productive and disease resistant varieties grown in New York and was Cornell University's first variety released specifically for winemaking. This versatile grape can be made into a semi-dry to sweet wine and is often blended with other white hybrids such as Seyval...
Mars is a productive vine with medium-sized clusters of medium to large slipskin berries that turn from crimson to deep blue at maturity. Fruit has a thick slipskin, resistant to cracking. Fruit holds well on the vine and is suited for extended periods of harvest.
Traminette is a Gewürztraminer hybrid that produces excellent wines similar to Gewürztraminer but with much more winter hardiness than its parent. Wines are distinctive and spicy and may be finished dry or semi-dry.
Referred to as "the best American table grape" in The Grapes of New York (Hedrick, 1907), Delaware is an early-ripening red variety with small berries and clusters, and mild flavor. Of the labrusca types, it has the best fruity notes and the least labrusca character. It requires a deep, fertile, ...
Chambourcin is a late ripening grape that can produce a highly rated red wine when fully mature. It requires a long growing season and at least 3000 GDD to fully mature. Vines tend to over-produce, so some cluster thinning is often necessary to produce high quality, deeply colored and aromatic wi...
Vignoles produces small, compact clusters highly susceptible to Botrytis bunch rot. Fruit can develop high sugar content while maintaining acidity, so Vignoles can be used to make late harvest desert wines in addition to dry to semi-dry table wines.
Prairie Star is a vigorous vine that produces long, loose clusters, is moderately productive, and does not require cluster thinning. Prairie Star can produce wines that lack foxiness with good hybrid wine quality. Poor fruit set has been seen in some seasons.
Swenson Red produces medium to large conical clusters with large, round, non-slipskin berries with firm flesh. Can be used to make a distinctive white wine as fermentation on the skins is not recommended.
