When
Elmer Swenson in northern Wisconsin (Osceola) set out to breed grapes for his
cold climate, he wanted something better than the labrusca style varieties that
were available then - things like Worden and Beta that were too "foxy" for his
tastes. One of the grapes he acquired to use in breeding was Seibel 11803, a
French Hybrid with very crisp, vinifera-like
berries.
However, it was so cold tender that
even when the vine was buried to protect it from the cold, it still died back
so much that it didn't bloom. Finally, after several attempts to get it to
survive long enough to bloom, Elmer got a couple of flower clusters and used
the pollen from them on hardy female flowered
grapes.
One of those was Minnesota #78, a
seedling of Beta from the University of Minnesota grape breeding program of the
1930's. From that cross, three selections were made and one selection in
particular stood out - the one that became Swenson Red. Firm,
meaty, with a unique, fruity flavor that was completely unlike the typical
labrusca flavored types, this was the grape Elmer had been seeking - a grape
that was more like vinifera than any other cold hardy grape to that
time.
Hardy to about -30 deg. F when well
hardened, Swenson Red isn't always red. That is, the color pigments in it are
temperature sensitive and in climates where nights are cool, the color may be
nearly blue, while where nights are hot, the fruit can be completely green in
color even when fully ripe. The flower clusters occasionally fail to pollinate
in the center area, resulting in a dumbbell shaped cluster, though this rarely
happens to more than a quarter of the
clusters.
Ripening time averages about a
month before Concord, or about mid September in Wisconsin and for me, in
Oregon. Sugar is fairly high, often 21 degrees Brix, which is high enough that
some growers report being able to make an acceptable white or rose wine from
it. Personally, I can't bear the idea of using it for anything but eating. The
vines like fertile soil for best vigor and productivity, though they will do
well in other soils.
Often, the vines will
seem lacking in vigor for several years, but after a time they seem to reach a
"take off" point and the vigor and productivity will increase all of a sudden
one year and the vines do better after that. This is an inherited trait as
seedlings of Swenson Red often behave the same way. The leaves are shiny and
free of pubescence, making Swenson Red an attractive vine for a high visibility
area. Also, the leaves are good for stuffed grape leaves, though it's a good
idea to wait until the vine is vigorous and well matured before using many of
the leaves.
Elmer, and other growers, report
that Swenson Red gets downy mildew in bad years, and needs to be watched for
that. How good is the fruit? All I can say is that it usually places in first
or second place in tastings. It is worth noting that there was another seedling
from the same cross, Elmer's selection #417, that has much of the same
character as Swenson Red. A white grape, it wasn't named or officially released
because it has female flowers and requires a pollinator. In my collectiion it
tastes much like Swenson Red, but with more
acid.
Trollhaugen - This is a sister seedling
of Swenson Red that was named by David MacGregor in Minnesota. Elmer calls it
his "show grape" because it has the largest berries of all his selections. Bear
in mind that most of Elmer's selections have inherited relatively small berries
from their Vitis riparia ancestors, so Trollhaugen berries tend to be about the
size of a well grown Concord for most growers. The character of this blue grape
is unlike Swenson Red, being softer and with a different flavor. It is also
reported as being a bit hardier. I haven't gotten it into production yet, but
Elmer says it makes excellent juice. |
