Patent Grant
PP33950
Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: The plant claimed relates to a new and distinct variety of Vitis interspecific hybrid.
Variety denomination: The plant claimed shall be known as ‘EJG Three’.
The present invention is not a subject of any federally sponsored research or development.
The new and distinct grapevine described and claimed herein originated from a wine grape breeding program. Hand pollination of the flowers of a non-patented seed parent variety with pollen of a non-patented pollen parent variety was performed in May 2013, and the resulting seeds were germinated in a greenhouse. The seedling vines were planted in a vineyard near Ripperdan, Madera County, Calif. in April 2014. The present variety of grapevine was selected as a single plant in 2015 based on the fruit yield, flavor, and composition, and was first asexually propagated by hardwood cuttings at Arroyo Grande, San Luis Obispo County, Calif. in February 2016. The resulting propagules were planted in the vineyard in April 2016 near Ripperdan, Madera County, Calif. as a replicated planting of ten vines. The resulting vines were found to be true to type, showing attributes of the original vine when observed in fruit for at least four seasons. Wine was made from fruit from these ten vines and the wine was evaluated through chemical and sensory testing.
The following description relates to the ‘EJG Three’ grapevine when grown under normal horticultural practices near Ripperdan, Madera County, Calif. Some of the characteristics of the grapevine may vary depending upon changes in crop load and/or change of location of cultivation.
The ‘EJG Three’ grapevine is characterized by producing medium-large loose clusters of medium-sized black grapes (alternatively referred to herein as “fruit” or “berries”) with a distinct fruity flavor. ‘EJG Three’ grapes have normal development of seeds. ‘EJG Three’ flowers are perfect and self-fertile with functional stamens, viable pollen, and a functional pistil. The skin of ‘EJG Three’ grapes is medium thick. ‘EJG Three’ grapes ripen for winemaking each year in September or October. ‘EJG Three’ is fertile with spur pruning. ‘EJG Three’ grapes are suitable for wine production and the wine is distinguished by positive fruity and floral (e.g., rose petal) flavor and aromas and attractive red or pink color. The positive color, flavor, and aroma of the wine demonstrate the usefulness of ‘EJG Three’.
‘EJG Three’ differs from its seed parent in several important ways. For example, ‘EJG Three’ has perfect flowers with normal development of erect stamens, which produce viable pollen, and ‘EJG Three’ is functionally self-fertile, while the seed parent is pistillate flowered with recurved stamens and the seed parent is functionally self-infertile. The grapes of ‘EJG Three’ are much larger than the grapes of the seed parent. ‘EJG Three’ differs from its pollen parent by producing black-skinned grapes, while the pollen parent produces grapes that are yellow in color (described as “white” in viticulture and enology). Microsatellite (e.g., simple sequence repeat) markers were used to develop a DNA fingerprint of ‘EJG Three’, and a comparison of the ‘EJG Three’ DNA fingerprint to an extensive, non-public database of grapevine variety DNA fingerprints showed that the ‘EJG Three’ DNA fingerprint was different from all the other DNA fingerprints. This observation is consistent with the origin of ‘EJG Three’ as a distinct grapevine that arose from a seed resulting from pollination between varieties.
Commercially grown wine grapevine varieties that are most similar to ‘EJG Three’ are Turan (non-patented), Muscat Hamburg (non-patented), and Muscat of Alexandria (non-patented). ‘EJG Three’ differs from Turan in several important ways. For example, ‘EJG Three’ has much larger clusters and grapes than Turan. ‘EJG Three’ produces black grapes with colorless or whitish flesh (e.g., not colored), while Turan produces black grapes with red berry flesh due to anthocyanin. ‘EJG Three’ ripens for winemaking in September or October, while Turan ripens for winemaking in July or August. Turan shoots are strongly erect, while ‘EJG Three’ shoots are semi-erect. Compared to Muscat Hamburg, ‘EJG Three’ grapes are deeply colored, with medium thick black skin, while Muscat Hamburg grapes are lightly colored, with thin, pale black skin. The clusters of ‘EJG Three’ are longer than Muscat Hamburg clusters. Compared to Muscat of Alexandria, ‘EJG Three’ grapes are black-skinned and highly suitable for the production of red or rosé wines, while Muscat of Alexandria grapes are yellow or green in color and suitable chiefly for the production of white wines.
The accompanying photographs illustrate ‘EJG Three’ in full color. The colors are as nearly true as is reasonably possible in a color representation of this type. For reference, many of the photographs include the following: a 24-color card sold by CAMERATRAX, a code number (13147074) that was used for testing ‘EJG Three’, and gridlines in which each square is 1 cm×1 cm. The grapevines and portions thereof shown in the photographs were grown in the vicinity of Ripperdan, Madera County, Calif. The photographs were obtained during the year 2020 when the grapevines were about four (4) years old.
The following detailed description sets forth the distinctive characteristics of ‘EJG Three’. Colors refer to the designations of the Munsell Book of Color Glossy Collection, Part No. 40115B, Serial No. 55635311119. The descriptions pertain to grapevines grown in the vicinity of Ripperdan, Madera County, Calif. that were observed during 2020 and other years, and the descriptions are believed to apply to plants of the variety grown under similar conditions elsewhere. The vines from which the observations were made were grown on their own roots (not grafted).
