Vitis vinifera Crimson Seedless - Grape vine

The Crimson Seedless Table Grape is a fairly late variety. Harvest will start around mid-September in the south, and early October in the north of the Loire. In the latter regions, the flowering is not afraid of late frosts, but be careful that the grapes ripen before the arrival of winter. It produces medium to large-sized clusters, conical in shape, more or less compact, with a long and strong stalk, weighing 400 to 500 grams. They are composed of medium-sized grains, elliptical in shape, with a heterogeneous colour ranging from pink to violet-red, covered with a light whitish bloom. The grain is firm and crunchy, with a thick skin and transparent, juicy, sweet flesh, with a fairly neutral taste and without seeds. Dehydrating and refreshing, grapes can be eaten fresh when ripe or transformed into fruit juice, jam, jelly, pastries, fruit salads, etc. This variety is susceptible to mildew, powdery mildew, and gray rot.

The wine grape, in Latin Vitis vinifera, belongs to the Vitaceae family, just like the Virginia creeper. It has been cultivated for thousands of years in North Africa, the Middle East, the Caucasus, and Europe. Between 1000 and 500 BC, it was introduced by the Romans to Italy, Sicily, Spain, Portugal, and southern France. During this ancient period, wines were diluted with water and flavored with herbs and spices. It is from the Middle Ages that wine is found as we know it today. In the 17th century, winemaking shifted towards the production of higher quality wines, but at the end of the 19th century, phylloxera destroyed a large part of the French vineyards, and thus, in the 20th century, the science of wine, oenology, emerged. This species is cultivated for its clustered fruits called "grapes," which can be consumed either fresh as table grapes, fermented into wine, or dried as raisins.

The Crimson Seedless variety was obtained by David Wilder Ramming and Ronald Tarailo in the United States (California), where it has been cultivated since 1989. It is the result of a cross between Emperor (synonyms: Empereur, Red Emperor, Red Emperador, Genova Rossa) and C33-199. Still relatively unknown in France, it is the most common table grape in California and widely grown in South America, South Africa, and Spain. It forms a plant with long, woody, and climbing branches, called canes when they are old and lignified, reaching 4 to 6 meters (13 to 20 feet) in spread, or even more when trained. The shoots are the young branches that bear the leaves, fruits, and tendrils that allow the vine to wrap around a support. Its root system can reach up to 5 meters (16 feet) deep in the soil, providing the vine with good drought resistance. Highly aesthetic, the branches are borne by a twisted trunk with bark that peels off in strips with age. With remarkable longevity, the vine can live for several centuries. Its deciduous foliage consists of large leaves measuring 8 to 16 cm (3 to 6in) in span, alternate, with 5 or 7 lobes, and toothed on the edge, attached to the branches by a long petiole. They change from tender green at bud burst to medium green during the season, and in autumn, they take on colours ranging from golden yellow to orange to violet-red, offering a very colourful spectacle. The very discreet flowering occurs in May-June. Opposite the leaves, it appears as a cluster measuring 10 to 12 cm (4 to 5in) long, composed of small insignificant flowers, yellowish-green, with 5 prominent stamens. As a self-fertile variety, the hermaphroditic flowers self-pollinate. To form the cluster, the fleshy and globular berries are attached to the stem by small pedicels. The floral buds freeze at -2°C (28.4°F), but the relatively late flowering of this variety is not particularly sensitive to spring frosts. This hardy plant can withstand temperatures of around -20°C (-4°F) but dislikes summer humidity, which promotes the appearance of spots on the leaves and fruits (powdery mildew and downy mildew). This variety can be grown anywhere in France in a sunny and warm location, in well-drained, deep, even poor, dry, and chalky soil.

The Crimson Seedless table grape is a productive and vigorous variety, with rapid fruiting, around 2 to 3 years, becoming optimal after 7 to 8 years. However, it is advisable to prune sparingly to avoid exhausting it. To achieve beautiful fruit coloring, light leaf removal can be practiced. The harvest, uniform and abundant, extends from late September to late October depending on the region and climate. It is important to only pick the fruits when they are ripe, as they do not ripen further, and to delicately harvest the cluster with its stalk using pruning shears. A vine can produce a quantity of 20 to 30 kg per year, varying depending on vine management. Grapes can only be stored for a few days in a cool place or in the refrigerator.

Seedless, firm, juicy, and sweet, this table grape is delicious to eat raw. It is also an ideal fruit for making jam, jelly, and fruit juice, for making clafoutis, cakes, custards, or fruit salads, and for accompanying savory dishes based on poultry (turkey, chicken, quail, duck, etc.). It pairs wonderfully with cheese, endives, walnuts, cured ham, etc. Rich in carbohydrates (glucose and fructose) from 16 to 18 g per 100 g, grapes are a calorie-dense fruit (approx. 80 Cal/100 g). Their content of vitamins B (B2, B6) and C, phenolic antioxidants, fiber, manganese, potassium, calcium, magnesium, with a significant contribution of iron, make grapes a health asset. They are a healthy, natural, and tasty fruit.

In addition to its fruiting capabilities, the Crimson Seedless table grape can showcase its ornamental qualities when trained on a pergola, arbor, or wall. To offer a tasting of table grapes from August to October, it may be interesting to combine it with other earlier varieties, such as Chasselat doré, Chasselat rose, Roi des précoces, Centennial Seedless, Perlette, Madeleine Royal, or later ones such as Alphonse Lavallée, Centennial Seedless, Exalta, Muscat d'Alexandrie, Muscat de Hambourg, Sultanica bianca. But in any case, among a wide range of grapevines, it is easy to find the one that best suits your desires.

For a more urban use, it is entirely possible to cultivate a vine in a pot on a balcony or terrace, trained in a warm and well-pruned situation. In this configuration, the vine will be highly ornamental.