Patent Grant
PP35728
Genus and species: Vitis spp., interspecific hybrid.
Variety denomination: ‘ARAVELLE’.
Grapes are produced on deciduous lianas of the botanical genus Vitis. Grapes can be consumed as fresh fruit (table grapes) or they can be processed into wine, jam, juice, jelly, grape seed extract, raisins, vinegar, and grape seed oil. Grapes may also be dried to produce raisins. Grape clusters can include from about 15 to greater than 300 berries, and fruit color can vary greatly from crimson, black, or dark blue, to yellow, green, orange, or pink in color. Anthocyanins and other pigments are responsible for the varying shades of purple in red wines. Berry shapes may vary from round or ellipsoid to oval or falcoid.
Most grapes worldwide are produced by cultivars of Vitis vinifera, the European grapevine that is native to the Mediterranean and Central Asia. Some fruit are also produced from additional species, and many species have been hybridized with V. vinifera to create a range of wine, juice, raisin and table grapes, as well as rootstock vines.
White wine grapes are those lacking anthocyanin pigmentation in the fruit such that the wines produced have a clear to golden, non-opaque appearance. They are usually higher in titratable acidity than are table grapes grown for fresh consumption. Typical white wine grape cultivars include ‘Chardonnay’ (unpatented), ‘Sauvignon blanc’ (unpatented), ‘Pinot gris’ (unpatented), ‘White Riesling’ (unpatented), ‘Seyval blanc’ (unpatented) and many others.
Important characteristics of white wine grapes in New York and elsewhere include productivity; low temperature tolerance; resistance to foliar and fruit diseases; suitable balance of sugar, acidity and pH; as well as the ability to make wines that are pleasing to consumers. The present invention is a new grapevine variety that is well-adapted to summer and winter conditions in the Finger Lakes region of New York, and similar areas; is productive under such conditions; moderately resistant to grapevine powdery and downy mildew; and much more resistant to Botrytis fruit rot than is its parent, ‘White Riesling’. In addition, the wine quality is very high, similar in aroma and flavor to wines made from ‘White Riesling’.
The present invention relates to a new and distinct grape cultivar named ‘ARAVELLE’, which was discovered in 1985, and resulted from controlled pollinations that took place in June, 1981, at a research farm in Geneva, New York. The male parent was the well-known European wine grape, ‘White Riesling’ (unpatented), of the species Vitis vinifera. The female parent was ‘Cayuga White’ (unpatented; Einset, J. and W. B. Robinson. 1972. ‘Cayuga White’, the first of a Finger Lakes series of wine grapes for New York. N.Y. Food & Life Sci Bul. 22), which was the first grape developed specifically for wine production in Geneva, New York. ‘Cayuga White’ was developed from a seedling arising from the hybridization of ‘Seyval blanc’ (unpatented) and ‘Schuyler’ (unpatented), both grape varieties having multiple Vitis species in their ancestries.
I. Breeding History
The original cross was designed in 1981 and made that year (June 1981) by emasculating the female vine prior to flowering, and applying pollen of the male vine to the bagged and protected pistils of the female parent. Seed were then germinated in a greenhouse in spring of 1982 and this family of grapevines was grown in an irrigated field nursery that summer.
All work to develop this variety took place at a research farm in Geneva, New York, and in nearby farms. Test plots were also grown at Fredonia, New York; Penn Yan, New York; and with University and grower cooperators. Cross pollination was followed by selection and asexual reproduction of an elite seedling noted for excellent wine quality, productivity and resistance to Botrytis bunch rot.
From the cross made in 1981, 457 seeds were produced and 145 seedling grapevines were germinated in a greenhouse beginning March, 1982, and grown in a nursery (June to October, 1982 and 1983) at a research farm in Geneva, New York. These seedlings were then planted in May, 1983, to a permanent vineyard site. The original vine of cultivar ‘ARAVELLE’ was planted on a research farm in Geneva, New York (vineyard 30, row 1 vine 38). The first fruit produced were observed in 1985 and, the vine was propagated by hardwood cuttings for further testing in spring 1990 based on outstanding wine results from the 1988 harvest. After hardening under field conditions in the 1990 nursery, vines were stored moist and cold (under 5° C.) until planting in the spring. Six vines were then planted in the research farm in Geneva, New York, Vineyard 33 Row 28 Vines 18-21 in 1991, and initially bore fruit in 1993, with sufficient quantities to harvest for wine trials in 1994.
II. Asexual Reproduction & Stability
The method of asexual reproduction was that vines were propagated initially from hardwood cuttings and later via bench grafting on rootstock ‘Couderc 3309’ (‘C. 3309’; unpatented). Seedlings from the cross described above were first asexually propagated are a research farm in Geneva, New York.
Asexual reproduction of this new cultivar by hardwood cuttings as well as by grafting onto a commercial rootstock shows that the characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations.
III. Comparisons with Parental and Reference Varieties
The ‘ARAVELLE’ cultivar is distinguished from ‘White Riesling’ and ‘Cayuga White’ as follows: Clusters are moderate in weight (ca. 100 gm/cluster) and hardiness is suitable for USDA Zone 5. The fresh flavor of the fruit has notes of apricot and stone fruits and the wine is often likened to ‘White Riesling’. Berries are smaller than those of ‘Cayuga White’ and similar in size to ‘White Riesling’, but the clusters are longer and looser than those of ‘White Riesling’.
New grapevine plant ‘ARAVELLE’ is illustrated by the accompanying photographs. The plant shown in the photographs is 11 years old. The colors of these illustrations may vary with lighting conditions and, therefore, color characteristics of this new cultivar should be determined with reference to the observations described herein, rather than from these illustrations alone.
The following detailed description of the ‘ARAVELLE’ grapevine plant is based on the originally identified plant, and asexually reproduced progeny grown on a research farm in Geneva, New York. The own-rooted vines described were planted in 1994, while the vines grafted on ‘C. 3309’ rootstock were planted in 1999. Vine, disease resistance, and fruit (only cluster weight and berry weight) data were obtained from these plants. Unless otherwise indicated, 11 year old vines in a separate planting were the source of the cane, leaf, flower, and further fruit (only peduncle, pedicel, brush, and seed fresh weight) data. Certain characteristics of this cultivar may change with changing environmental conditions (e.g., light, temperature, moisture, etc.), nutrient availability, or other factors. Quantified measurements are expressed as an average of measurements taken from a number of individual plants and plant parts of the new cultivar. The measurements of any individual plant, or any group of plants, of the new cultivar may vary from the stated average. Color descriptions and other terminology are used in accordance with their ordinary dictionary descriptions, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. All major color code designations are by reference to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart (R.H.S.), 2001 edition.
