Fredonia Grape

Very large deep purple grape. All purpose. Tasty underripe too.Fredonia (Early Concord) is an interspecific hybrid of Vitis labrusca and V.vinifera. Parents are 'Champion' and 'Lucille'. Bred in Fredonia N.Y. in 1915 by F.F. Gladwin from the N.Y.S. Agricultural Experiment Station. It was introduced to growers in 1927 . Fruit - Changes from a beautiful pink to a nearly black color when ripe. The berries have a thick skin which keeps most wasps from bothering them, and resists bunch rot. Medium to occasionally large clusters, being compact and cylindrical. Although listed as an early ripening grape, this really means early compared the the 'Concord' cultivar. Here at the farm it comes in late in September. The fruit, although ripening a bit unevenly the cluster, can be eaten while still pink for a tart and perfume-laden treat. Vine - About medium in the vigor of growth. Large rounded leaves. Cluster thinning is usually not needed. Seems to set fruit better near another cultivar. Cold hardy in zone 3. Wine - Produces a labrusca flavored in the rose' style. Management - Susceptible to just about all the vine diseases. We experience powdery mildew and Botrytis most years on the fruit and leaves. Good circulation can help greatly, but sulfur sprays are likely to be needed. This vine is not sensitive to sulfur applications, luckily.