Swenson White Grapes

Swenson White (Esprit x Edelweiss) My first taste of this grape was directly from the original vine at Elmer Swenson's farm. The skin was tough enough to resist cracking without being unpleasant to eat, and the flesh was firm but tender with a fruity flavor unlike any other hybrid I had tried up to that time. The vine had tremendous vigor, with canes 20 feet long, which was exceptional in that climate. A very few berries in each cluster contained six seeds, grouped in a tight cluster that often came out all stuck together, forming a ball almost like a cherry pit. In western Oregon, the texture and skin are similar, but the fruit has been very neutral in flavor and the "seed ball" is almost never found. Swenson White hangs very well on the vine, much like Vidal Blanc in that ability, making it a potential variety for icewine. Likes a loamy, fertile soil to do it's best. It seems to do well pruned either to canes or to cordons with spurs. If it has time to harden well before frost it can be hardy to -30 F. Otherwise it is hardy to -20 to -25. Ripens about three weeks before Concord, but can hang on the vine for several weeks.