🍇 Garantos

Garantos is a white table grape, an interspecific hybrid from Germany. According to its VIVC passport, Norbert Becker crossed it in 1991 at the State Viticulture Institute in Freiburg; plant variety protection followed in 2017. The breeder names Solaris and Muscat Bleu as its parents; VIVC has not yet confirmed this pedigree by DNA markers.

Its breeding number is FR 515-91 (Freiburg 515-91), and in the trade it is often sold simply as Garant. The berries contain seeds. According to VIVC, only 1 collection holds the variety. The Bavarian State Institute for Viticulture and Horticulture in Veitshöchheim describes Garant in its leaflet on grape varieties for house and garden. The berries are green-yellow, medium-sized and firm, and colour up when overripe. The taste is pleasantly muscat and very sweet. The vine is vigorous and very healthy. In a wine-growing climate the clusters ripen from late August to mid-September; outside wine regions, 1–3 weeks later.

Why it matters to you. Garantos belongs to the fungus-resistant varieties: the Bavarian experts write that such varieties, depending on disease pressure, largely resist powdery and downy mildew. They need a fully sunny spot, and a roof, a covered pergola or a plastic cover clearly lower the downy mildew risk further. So this muscat table grape is suitable for growing at home, not only in professional vineyards. According to the leaflet, such varieties are sold by well-stocked tree nurseries, specialist garden centres and vine nurseries.