The Spotlight Plant Of The Month For September: Native Grapes

Nope, this isn't Napa Valley or Burgundy, France. It is one of the best kept Concord Grapes secrets of the American gardening scene. Our Southern Great Lakes Region happens to boast some of the best vineyards in the interior region of the country. There are many wineries and vintners in the region, from small Mom-and-Pop operations to larger vintners and many of them use the native grapes extensively with delightful results. Thank goodness the wines they produce are becoming more widely known, respected and available! Heineman Winery on Put-In-Bay, Ohio is one. Mon Ami by Lake Erie is another. St. Julian and Tabor Hill over by Lake Michigan are other notable wineries. There are many others, but this isn't about wine, but the stuff that makes wine: Grapes!

We do not have volcanic soils, but our region does have good growing conditions that support the growing of many varieties of grapes. There are several native North American species of grapes. This article is to honor the native grapes of our region and their hybrids, namely the Concord, Catawba, and Niagara grapes. These are commonly known as bunch grapes or fox grapes, and formally known as Vitis labrusca.

These are the grapes of our unsophisticated selves. We may grow up and leave the region for more upscale towns such as New York City or Los Angeles. We may develop a palate for fine foods and wines. Yet, many of us wistfully remember the grapes of our youth, our "homey" grapes, if you will.

This is the time of year when the grape harvest starts. Fragrant grapes, sun kissed and warmed, lightly frosted with silver. Pluck a few off the vine, and pop them into your mouth. Suck the juices, and pucker a bit at the sweet-sour taste. Better than smarties! Better for you than smarties!

The Concord is that kind of grape. You can't really eat the center because it is too sour. But suck the skins and the juice out, and what an experience! Cook them, add sugar, turn them into juice, add pectin, and make jelly. A Junior Epicure's delight! This is the Ultimate Childhood Grape. I eagerly patrolled my mother's grapevines when I was a child, and fought the Yellow Jackets and suffered a sting here and there for a few.

The Catawba is another example. Red in color, often lightly frosted, with a fragrance and taste all its own. Unless you have eaten our native grapes, you cannot understand the term "foxy" sweet. These are that and more. Luscious and delicious, lovely for sweet and semi-sweet table wine, honey sweet for juice.

The Niagara is a lovely table grape. Green-yellow, foxy sweet. This is not a good shipper, so it is not as firm as those grapes we buy at the store. But wonderful to pop into the mouth from the vine or the fridge! This makes a mild juice, one that I was most fond of as a child, and wonderful wine, from semi-sweet to sweet in quality.

Grape culture is easy, and once you get the hang of pruning and maintaining them, growing them is a snap. The native grapes have only a few insect pests and diseases, and are less challenging to grow than tree fruits or other grapes and small fruits.

These are best planted in the spring, and pruning is done in the late winter to early spring, before dormancy breaks. Avoid pruning them any other time, as they may not seal over the wounds.

There are several ways to train grapes, and I won't go into the details here. You can train them on wires; you can train them on arbors. Your extension agent can give you the information you need about the pruning specifics.

The haughty grape-and-wine crowd might look down on these unpretentious grapes. They are, however, beloved by many, and grown throughout the region. They make wonderful neighbor-friendly fences, and children and adults alike love to hide away in the shade that a grape arbor provides. Grow a few of these wonderful grapes of our memories and provide some memories for your little ones as well!