Chalk Mountain cinerea x Villard Blanc

Saturday, I went up to Chalk Mountain and picked my crosses.  It was the first time I had been up since May 27 when I pollinated.

I had 6 clusters bagged.  In each bag, I had used a twisty to attach a flower to the cinerea blossom.  I didn't try using a brush to pollinate.  It was a bit early, and flowers were not open, yet.

In 4 cases, the twisty didn't hold and the flower fell off.  Zero berries produced.  In two bags, the twisty stuck.  In one, 0 berries.

That left one bag.  Chalk Mountain cinerea x Villard Blanc.  This had 8 dark berries and a number green ones of various sizes.    Each of the 8 dark berries had 1 seed.  I checked the 3 largest green berries and foudn each had a full sized light green seed.

I didn't see any clusters in the trees.  This surprised me.  I know where to look, but didn't find any.

The vine was very stressed out.  There were no leaves on the cane I had used for bagging clusters..

I suspect the berries were not as ripe as they would be in a few weeks.  The brix was only 18.6.  Last year, on 9/2/12, I got a brix of 21.5.

I will be planting the seeds in a few days.  I'm also going to try rooting some North African vinifera that has been in the refrigerator all summer.  It came from GRIN too late to root.  Summer temps were almost upon us.

First September taste tests

We have survived August!  I'm expecting the heat to stay in the upper 90s for a week or so, then start cooling off.

Based on reports from other vineyards, there has been a late harvest here in North Central Texas.  Red Caboose, 30 miles south was picking in mid-August.  Brushy Creek, 50 miles north, was harvesting August 31st.  My Black Spanish (Lenoir), the only commercially bottled grape that will fruit here in the frosty hollow, was ripe August 5th.  For us, that's about average.

We still have 3 vines with clusters still hanging. All three vines were grown from seeds.  "Bridlegate x Carnelian" was bred by Rich Ellison.  "(B49 cinerea x Villar Noir) x Herbemont" and "Cabin Bicolor x Lady Patricia" was bred by Cliff Ambers.   They all started growing here in 2010, so it is their 4th leaf.

Below are the first brix tests on them.  Since this is the first year for these crosses to produce fruit, it isn't clear when any will be ripe.  The Bridlegate cinera x Carnelian tastes like it is ready.  The (Cinerea x Villard Noir) x Herbemont is clearly several weeks from being ready.  The Bicolor x Lady Patricia is a real surprise.  The bicolor side is from Ohio.  Lady Patricia is a cross of two French-American vines.  It isn't clear why the fruit is hanging so long, but the vine really likes it here in Texas!

We haven't used any sprays at all this year, so the local white fly and leaf-roller populations have been active.  Leaf rollers seem to have a particular fondness for many of the cinerea crosses.  All three vines had their clusters protected in brown paper bags, or nylon socks.  Birds strip everything from unprotected clusters.  They even poked a few holes in the nylon socks.

Black Spanish berries are about .4 inches in diameter here.  All three berries are around the same size. 

Bridlegate x Carnelian:

(Barrett's B27 x Villard Noir) x Herbemont

Cabin Bicolor x Lady Patricia