Topic: dessert grape for northern allotment

[gwynnethmary]

We have a nice, sunny, sheltered spot at the end of the plot where I can visualise a vine growing on the fence under a perspex shelter to act as  a rain-catcher cum vine protection.  Can anyone else visualise this and, even more importantly, recommend a suitable grape vine to sacrifice to my vision?

[ed dibbles]

There are a good number of different grape varieties that will grow in sheltered situations even in the north. Some you may not have heard of and some possibly you have....

Dessert grapes - no problem - are you looking for white or red grapes?
Seeded or seedless?

Some recommendations from me (not an exhaustive list by any means)

Seeded white - Phoenix (wine and dessert, dual purpose) Seneca, Siegerrebe (early, small grapes but delicious) Madeleine Angevine (dual puropse)

Seeded red - Alden, Boskoop Glory, Gagarin Blue, Regent and Rondo (both dual purpose)

Seedless white - Interlaken, Lakemont, Somerset seedless (pink grape recommended for the north.

Seedless red - Beauty, Mars (often said good for north) Vanessa.

Plenty there to be going on with. :)

[Stevens706]

Hi I grow Lakemont in Preston, very sweet seedless grapes, I am growing it in a greenhouse.

[saddad]

I have a regent outside, here in Derby. Nice, reliable, but being seedy I never thin them enough for dessert. An allotment neighbour is good at wine making so I may be unloading those at the end of the season. Keep saying I will try a Lakemont...  :-\

[ed dibbles]

The general consensus seems to be with Lakemont - a good choice for a sheltered place as is the very reliable Himrod.

I too grow Regent (as well as about 20 other varieties  :)) The Regent are in a relatively sheltered garden where the grapes grow quite large. They have red flesh and are seeded.

I also grow vines on the open allotment (in dorset).

My Regent grapes are used for wine but you could certainly get larger grapes by thinning the bunches (as with many varieties in fact)

Phoenix makes a very good eating grape too with the seeds not being as large as Regent.