Plants – Fruit – Grape
Plant Patent
2001-04-09
2004-03-23
Grunberg, Anne Marie (Department: 1661)
Plants
Fruit
Grape
Plant Patent
active
PP014617
ABSTRACT:
Botanical classification:
Vitis vinifera.
Variety denomination: ‘La Crescent’.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Grape is one of the most widely planted and economically important fruit crops in the world. Currently, worldwide planting of grapevines exceeds 8.7 million hectares producing 60 million tons annually, with approximately 70% of the grapes being fermented into wine, 28% used for fresh fruit and the remainder used for dried raisins. In the U.S. alone, the grape crop is worth approximately $3 billion annually
Most grape varieties used for production of high quality wines are of the species
Vitis vinifera
. The discovery of winemaking, as well as the domestication of the wine grape, likely began in southern Caucasia (presently northwestern Turkey, northern Iraq, Azerbaijan and Georgia) at least 6000 years ago. Eventually, varieties of
V. vinifera
were cultivated throughout the Mediterranean region, then into Europe and Asia, and, ultimately, through European colonization to North America, South America and Australia. On all these continents, successful production of
V. vinifera
occurs predominantly in temperate climate zones similar to that of the indigenous range of
V. vinifera
in Eurasia, e.g., summers that are sunny, warm, and dry, and winters that are mild and rainy.
V. vinifera
varieties cultivated in northern regions of the United States with a continental climate are often subject to serious injury or death from low temperatures during winter. Although several wild Vitis species occur in colder regions of North America and eastern Asia, the wine made from these species generally has serious defects. Thus, there is a need for grape varieties that are winter hardy, yet produce fruit capable of yielding high quality wine.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
‘La Crescent’ is a variety of grape (Vitis sp.) that has a unique combination of outstanding wine quality and very high cold hardiness not found in existing grape varieties. Fruit of ‘La Crescent’ can be fermented to produce white wine having desirable aromas of citrus, apricot, pineapple, and muscat (as found in Riesling or Vignoles varieties) and lacks ‘foxy’ aromas associated with
V. labrusca
and herbaceous aromas associated with
V. riparia.
As grown in east central Minnesota, the plants of ‘La Crescent’ plants are moderately vigorous and very winter hardy. The vines are somewhat resistant to phenoxy herbicide injury and moderately susceptible to foliar phylloxera (
Daktulospahira vitifoliae
) damage. Downy mildew, caused by
Plasmopara viticola,
has been observed at moderate levels on the foliage, but has not been seen on the fruit. Powdery mildew disease, caused by
Uncinula necator,
has been seen at low levels on the foliage, but not on the fruit. The disease black rot, caused by
Guignardia bidwellii,
has been observed sporadically and at low levels on the leaves, but not on the fruit. ‘La Crescent’ vines set a light to moderate crop load that varies from year to year. The fruit are borne on a loose, medium sized cluster. The berries are small to medium sized and amber with a waxy bloom at maturity. In some years, a small percentage of the berries have been observed dropping from the cluster before or during harvest. The berries have not been observed to split, even under wet conditions in the autumn. The fruit at harvest is usually relatively high in sugar and moderate to high in acidity.
REFERENCES:
patent: PP13309 (2002-12-01), Clark et al.
Hemstad Peter
Luby James
Fish & Richardson P.C. P.A.
Grunberg Anne Marie
Regents of the University of Minnesota
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