It is used primarily in wine and juice processing due to its wet stem scar. Muscadine Varieties for Wine. There are also Early Fry and Late Fry varieties. What separates NC State University from other schools? For example, besides being used as a common name for any bronze grape, “Scuppernong” is a very old variety selected from the wild along the Scuppernong River in North Carolina which has largely been superseded by modern cultivars. All grapes are not created equal. Muscadine vines ship between late November and late April. Fry is a favorite U-pick muscadine cultivar developed in Georgia. Skins can be tough, but flavor is excellent. Welder has uniform ripening with a wet stem scar. It will do well for U-pick operations and has good disease resistance and cold tolerance. NC State Extension is the largest outreach program at NC State University. Available for home garden planting, but watch for fruit as well. It is highly vigorous and productive, producing flavorful “football-shaped” fruit. Exciting Research on Muscadine Health Benefits! More. These grapes are related to one of the most famous plants in the world, a neighboring muscadine vine found on Roanoke Island, North Carolina. By Gene B Bussell. Jumbo is a large, black, female cultivar suitable for U-pick operations. Muscadine grapes, also called Scuppernong grapes, are delicious and nutritious multi-purpose fruits used for making wine, baked goods, jellies and jams, and last but not least, for eating fresh off the vine. Small Fruits Extension Specialist, Assistant Professor, Strawberry and Grape. See a list of Muscadine cultivars recommended for NC production here. Cooperative Extension prohibits discrimination and harassment on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy), disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, and veteran status. Magnolia is known for its uneven ripening. It has good flavor, high sugar content, and a very dry stem scar. For over 100 years grape breeders have attempted to develop muscadines that are seedless with easy-to-chew skins. Ninety to ninety-five percent of the commercial muscadine production in North Carolina is Carlos. Oh My! Send Explanation. Self-fertile varieties are easier to manage than female varieties, which require a pollinator. Noble is relatively cold tolerant. Carlos is one of the most cold-tolerant cultivars when completely dormant in the winter. You will automatically get notified when we post news to this site. This flavor profile is easy to work with in wine making. It also has a wet stem scar if picked under-ripe, so may be best suited to U-pick operations. The more common way to start growing muscadine is to start with a bare root vine. The sweet, crunchy, seedless grapes are small and are be picked as clusters rather than individually. Uniform ripening facilitates mechanical harvesting of this cultivar. They’re the large, round, thick-skinned fruits that are often transformed into sweet wines and jellies. Cooperative Extension has offices in every county, NC Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, Mountain Horticultural Crops Research & Extension Center, Vernon G. James Research & Extension Center, Entomology â Insect Biology and Management, Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center, Weed Management in Nurseries, Landscapes & Christmas Trees. Self-fertile varieties are easier to manage than female varieties, which require a pollinator. Muscadine Varieties Muscadine Varieties. It produces delicious fruit that contains 20% sugar. Its small size and wet stem scar prevent its use for anything but processing. For much of the history of the crop, varieties were simply selections from the wild. Sugargate 9. This site was developed to bring together the latest information from the Research and Extension Specialists at NC State University for muscadine growers throughout the state. It is highly vigorous and productive, producing flavorful “football-shaped” fruit. Nesbitt is a large, black, self-fertile cultivar bred in North Carolina. It ripens uniformly with a dry stem scar. Supreme is one of the top 5 fresh cultivars recommended in North Carolina. ‘Fry’ is popular for its large berry size and good flavor, even when picked immature. From a size and production stand point the Ison variety exceeds Noble. If you plan to grow only one vine, it can be black or bronze, but must be perfect flowered if you plan to enjoy fruit. At first, it was simply called the "big white grape." Learn More About NC State Extension, We have several topic based e-mail newsletters that are sent out periodically when we have new information to share. For much of the history of the crop, varieties were simply selections from the wild. As varieties with better characteristics such as flavor, size, or yield are developed, they often replace older favorites. It is a female cultivar with a wet stem scar, limiting its usefulness in the retail market. has full-sized, seedless, bronze-colored fruits with tender skins. Triumph is a self-fertile cultivar developed in Georgia. It's called the "Mother Vine," and it's the plant from which the first bronze muscadines grew. Because some muscadine grapes are female vines and require a pollinator, read the label to make sure you know the pollination requirements before you purchase plants. Some of the varieties most commonly grown in North Carolina are shown below, but many others are also grown. Below is the countdown of the Top 10 muscadine grape varieties with high potential consumer preferences.