St. Pepin (grape)
Encyclopedia
St. Pepin is a modern hybrid
variety of wine
grape
, mostly grown in North America. It produces grapes suitable for making fruity white wines similar to Riesling
or as a base for blended wines. The grapes also make a good seeded table grape for eating. It has the benefits of early ripening and when hardened properly in the fall it is winter hardy to at least -25 °F. As such it best suited to growing in more northern climates.
St. Pepin was produced and patented by Elmer Swenson
circa 1970. It is a hybrid of the male Seyval blanc
crossed to a seedling of Minnesota 78
by Seibel 1000 (aka Rosette
). Unlike most modern grapes it is a pistillate female and so needs to be planted next to male vines from a close sibling variety to achieve pollination
.
Hybrid grapes
Hybrid grapes are grape varieties that are the product of a crossing of two or more Vitis species. This is in contrast to crossings between grape varieties of the same species, typically Vitis vinifera, the European grapevine. Hybrid grapes are also referred to as inter-specific crossings...
variety of wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
grape
Grape
A grape is a non-climacteric fruit, specifically a berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or they can be used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, molasses and grape seed oil. Grapes are also...
, mostly grown in North America. It produces grapes suitable for making fruity white wines similar to Riesling
Riesling
Riesling is a white grape variety which originated in the Rhine region of Germany. Riesling is an aromatic grape variety displaying flowery, almost perfumed, aromas as well as high acidity. It is used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet and sparkling white wines. Riesling wines are usually varietally...
or as a base for blended wines. The grapes also make a good seeded table grape for eating. It has the benefits of early ripening and when hardened properly in the fall it is winter hardy to at least -25 °F. As such it best suited to growing in more northern climates.
St. Pepin was produced and patented by Elmer Swenson
Elmer Swenson
Elmer Swenson was a pioneering grape breeder who introduced a number of new cultivars, effectively revolutionizing grape growing in the Upper Midwest of the United States and other cold and short-seasoned regions....
circa 1970. It is a hybrid of the male Seyval blanc
Seyval Blanc
Seyval Blanc is a hybrid wine grape variety used to make white wines. Its vines ripen early, are productive and are suited to fairly cool climates.Seyval Blanc is grown mainly in England, and the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, as well as to a lesser extent in Canada...
crossed to a seedling of Minnesota 78
Minnesota 78
Minnesota 78 is an old selection of grapevine, developed at the University of Minnesota, United States. It was extensively used in breeding by Elmer Swenson, with its Vitis riparia background providing a degree of adaptation to the harsh climate of the upper Midwest.Although recorded as a cross of...
by Seibel 1000 (aka Rosette
Rosette (grape)
Rosette or Seibel 1000 is a wine hybrid grape red-berries variety which originated with the work of Albert Seibel by a crossing of Jaeger 70 with Vitis vinifera. Rosette is also the common ancestor of St. Pepin and La Crosse grapes. Rosette is used to produce rosé wine....
). Unlike most modern grapes it is a pistillate female and so needs to be planted next to male vines from a close sibling variety to achieve pollination
Pollination
Pollination is the process by which pollen is transferred in plants, thereby enabling fertilisation and sexual reproduction. Pollen grains transport the male gametes to where the female gamete are contained within the carpel; in gymnosperms the pollen is directly applied to the ovule itself...
.
Parentage
To clarify the parentage of St. Pepin;- Minnesota 78Minnesota 78Minnesota 78 is an old selection of grapevine, developed at the University of Minnesota, United States. It was extensively used in breeding by Elmer Swenson, with its Vitis riparia background providing a degree of adaptation to the harsh climate of the upper Midwest.Although recorded as a cross of...
is recorded as a cross of BetaBeta (grape)Beta is a winter-hardy variety of North American grape derived from a cross of the Vitis labrusca-based cultivar Concord and a selection of Vitis riparia, the wild riverbank grape, called Carver). It is an extremely cold-hardy grape that is self-fertile. This variety is grown successfully in...
by Witt, but many have doubted this pedigree, and Elmer SwensonElmer SwensonElmer Swenson was a pioneering grape breeder who introduced a number of new cultivars, effectively revolutionizing grape growing in the Upper Midwest of the United States and other cold and short-seasoned regions....
suggested that the male parent may be Jessica, a cross of Vitis labruscaVitis labruscaVitis labrusca is a species of grapevines belonging to the Vitis genus in the flowering plant family Vitaceae. The vines are native to the eastern United States and are the source of many grape cultivars, including Catawba and Concord grapes, and many hybrid grape varieties such as Agawam,...
by a variety of Vitis aestivalisVitis aestivalisVitis aestivalis is a species of grape native to eastern North America from southern Ontario east to Vermont, west to Oklahoma, and south to Florida and Texas. It is a vigorous vine, growing to 10 m or more high in trees... - Beta is a cross of a variety of Vitis ripariaVitis ripariaVitis riparia Michx, also commonly known as River Bank Grape or Frost Grape, is a native American climbing or trailing vine, widely distributed from Quebec to Texas, and Montana to New England. It is long-lived and capable of reaching into the upper canopy of the tallest trees...
by ConcordConcord grapeConcord grapes are a cultivar derived from the grape species Vitis labrusca which are used as table grapes, wine grapes and juice grapes.... - SeyvalSeyval BlancSeyval Blanc is a hybrid wine grape variety used to make white wines. Its vines ripen early, are productive and are suited to fairly cool climates.Seyval Blanc is grown mainly in England, and the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, as well as to a lesser extent in Canada...
is a cross of Seibel 5656 and Seibel 4986 Both these hybrids are a complex set of crosses of other Seibel hybridsSeibel grapesSeibel grapes are a group of wine grape varieties which originated with the work of Albert Seibel. They were planted widely in France during the 1950s but have seen decline in recent years due to French wine law banning the cultivation of hybrid grapes for appellation wine. The grapes are still...
.