Best table grapes for wine?

[James Bentley]

Hi everyone,

I'm a hobby gardener who enjoys preserving just about everything I can for off-season use. I've wanted to get into wine making. What are the best table grapes you are aware of that also make reasonably good wines?

After the reading I've done, I'm aware that table grapes and wine grapes aren't the same thing, but it appears there are some table grapes that'll make a decent wine if sugar is added.

Concord grapes are often called out as a table grape used for wine, but I wanted to inquire about other table grapes I can use for wine, jelly, raisins, etc before I pull the trigger and buy grape vines.

Likewise, if there are good wine grapes that substitute for good table grapes, I'm interested in hearing about those too.

Thanks for any help!

-Jim Bentley
South Portland, Maine.

 

[cmason1957]

I love to eat almost all the "wine" grapes, they are a bit more acidic and quite a bit sweeter than table grapes. The downside to eating "wine" grapes, they all have seeds. I haven't found any table grapes that make good wine.

 

[BenK]

1. Delaware is supposedly good for both. I can confirm they taste fantastic off the vine but have never tasted wine from them.

2. Concord like you mentioned.

3. If you can tolerate the smaller berry size I thought that Saint Croix grapes tasted so good off the vine that i am trying to make wine from them at the expence of making more foch and marquette wine.

 

[Sage]

Canadise makes very good white. Needs at least 2 yrs in the bottle before becoming good.

 

[MJD]

I'm one of those people that will make wine out of anything.

You can make decent (drinkable) wine out of table grapes. Do not expect an award winning Willamette Valley Pinot out of them and you won't be disappointed.

Pay attention to your sugar/pH/etc, get it within reasonable bounds, use a good yeast, and give it time.

Welch's grape juice concentrate is a cheap and easy way to practice....it definitely needs 8-16 months to settle down if you ferment too hot.

 

[user 36973]

Catawba also makes for both a good table grape and a good wine grape

 

[buzi]

Catawba also makes for both a good table grape and a good wine grape

Good point! I like the grape and wine, but is seems under appreciated. A sparklings Catawba won in a blind taste test against french champagne...back in the 1880's

 

[Nono]

I make wine out of Himrod. It's one of my favorites! Also delicious for fresh use and raisins!

 

[randy Laverty]

I make wine out of Himrod. It's one of my favorites! Also delicious for fresh use and raisins!

What is you recipe and steps for himrod wine making thanks

 

[Rice_Guy]

welcome to WMT @randy Laverty

This is an old thread so I will give an answer for Nono. The general process for a white wine is harvest at 1.090 plus > juice the grape > add nutrients > add a wine yeast > ferment to below 1.050 > rack into a carboy. ,,, ie follow an ordinary wine recipe.

From a grocery store point of view the main difference between table grapes and wine grapes is table grapes are low / no seed. Red wine grapes also have significant tannin which acts as an antioxidant and lets one build wine with several years of aging potential.