wine grapes hervey bay

Phil@Tyalgum says...
Pink Iona is a good variety for the backyard grower - likes coastal conditions and generally more resistant to mildew and fungal diseases. Any grape with American parentage seems to take the humidity ok.

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allybanana says...
Have a look at Daleys, MUSCADINE GRAPE, Vitis rotundifolia varieties. Thay sound like the go for the humid sub-tropics. http://www.daleysfruit.com.au/MUSCADINE-GRAPE-Vitis-rotundifolia.htm

Sarah says...
It doesn't sound like Kert is gonna allow you anything, Peter. Maybe give up on grapes and grow Passionwine...

allybanana says...
sabella Black is a wine grape cultivar of Vitis labrusca, according to wikapedia. But some people find the foxy flavour a bit much, personally I like the taste and eat them fresh. It is so tough and grows well in the coastal subtropics it could be worth putting in a couple, graft over and use it as root stock if you don’t like it.

The couple of varieties kert mentioned above grown in Port maquarie sound good Is comercial isabella an improved version of Isabella black? If so i would be interested to know were to find some.


On observing the origion of grape species it appears to me that mascadine grapes native to the southern half of the US have the closest climatic fit to Hervey Bay as you are a fair way north.


Also Kert a question, is achillies only fair as a table or a wine grape? Daley’s website says "Ripe grapes are sweet and juicy with a distinctive fruity flavour", here they are referring to it as a table grape, likewise Pink Iona, do you know of people who have tried achillies for wine.

Achillies has seeds and flavour they might be okay for wine. Especially if that’s what grows the best in the climate you have.

Maybe contact Dept of Ag. to se if anyone has muscadine grapes.
If you have the time and a bit of spare cash maybe import some wood, pioneer some new varieties.


Anyway a few ideas, feel free to criticise kert, methodically would be the preferred kind --- “I think LOL”.

rev says...
Thats a ridiculous price lol

AQIS costs and policies certainly do favour smugglers dont they

So any word on those Muscadines from the daleys staff?

'in production'
likely to be available 2010/11/12?

thanks

amanda says...
Where did u get your Achilles from kert?

Denny says...
Hi Amanda,

Kert does not have 'Achilles' muscadine grape. He has another variety, likely a seedling which has not been selected for fruit quality.

Two very disease resistant wine grapes are 'Cascade' and 'Mantey' they produces lots of small- medium dark berries, which birds love but it is said that the wine is not very high in quality. They are US bred hybrid grapes.

kert says...
Denny, I bought my Achilles from Daleys and they have been selling them for some time. And ,yes they, are small and seedy as desctibed by Daleys.

Denny says...
Hi Kert,

Are you sure that Daley's called the muscadine you bought "Achilles " ? They have been selling a muscadine grape that is small and seedy but it was not called Achilles. True 'Achilles' which I have bred has only just been released and is quite large and even produces some smaller seedless fruit.

The name Achilles did not appear on their web site until last year when I named my muscadine selection and they agreed to sell it.

John Mc says...
Daley's has 3 Bronze muscadine grape vines for sale right now if anyone is interested. $14.90ea

kert says...
Denny's varieties sound a big improvement on Daley's existing muscadine whose name like the Creator's cannot be spoken.
If it is not secret can Denny tell us what the starting point of his varieties were. Imported ? A selection from an existing Australian muscadine?
I have found Daley's "small and seedy" muscadine of little value other than as a curiosity.
Incidentally Isabella from Daley's is a big success and is v. disease resistant.

ringelstrumpf says...
Which varieties of grapes are available in Australia? We live in cool climate/Upper Mountains and I would like to grow some grapes which are for both eating and wine making.
In my country Dornfelder is a very good variety and I like the Pinot Noir as well, but I neither know if you get this here nor if it is good for our climate.
Gardening books always tell that the grapes for wine are not good to eat, but that is not true as they are usually sold on the market before they make wine.

pietro says...
hi all
here's a pic of the vines in. pretty exciting! Because of unavailability of chambourcin on the specific root stock (richter 110), I ended up getting verdelho, merlot, sagrantino and durif from chalmers nursery near mildura. watching them grow now. Yep ernie, I have met your friend at Hervey Bay. I live just up the hill from her.
cheers

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Diana says...
I like Maroo seedless. It is related to Carolina Black Rose but has sweeter fruit, and it is still mould resistant for humid coastal climates. I have a Carolina Black Rose which is great for lots of reasons (very vigorous and healthy in this climate), but not ideal for eating fresh as the grapes are a bit sour. Mould resistant white ones include Isabella and Pink Iona (easy to get) and Lady Patricia (apparently nicer, but harder to get).
Muscadines are are different species of plant- not the same as fruit shop grapes as such. They taste quite different to grapes.