Would like help with identification of grapes at new home. Grapes growing in full sun and some shade – east facing backyard. The soil is pretty normal Toronto backyard clay?- not sure about zone – we are at Dufferin and bloor. Soil is pretty dry also.
Congratulations on your new home. How lovely to have these beautiful vines already established in your backyard.
It is very challenging to identify grapes by a photo, or even plant sample, as it often requires additional information on the seeds, skin colour & thickness and sugar content, etc. Commercial growers would have the option of submitting leaves for DNA analysis or using a combination of shoot tips, leaves and fruit, and using the just these photos I see a few possibilities.
Generally, there are 9 grape varieties grown for wine production in Ontario are Vidal, Seyval Blanc, Baco Noir, Pinot Gris, Chambourcin, Auxerois, Riesling, Marechal Foch and Chardonnay. The grape varieties grown in Ontario for table consumption are both blue grapes (Concord and Sovereign Coronation). In addition, American varieties are common in home gardens due to their disease resistance.
As such, I would recommend reviewing the list of Table Grape Varieties for Cool Climates and the list of Wine and Juice Varieties for Cool Climates in the article, Grape variety identification, on the Oregon State University site. This an extensive list of common varieties that includes photos and descriptions that offer additional details that can help you distinguish and narrow down the possible varieties.
Septembrr 4, 2021