🍇 La Crescent
White cold-hardy wine grape bred at the University of Minnesota (crossed 1988, introduced 2002); VIVC no. 17632.
La Crescent is a white wine grape, an interspecific crossing (a hybrid of Vitis species) bred at the University of Minnesota in the United States. VIVC passport number 17632 records the prime name LA CRESCENT, white berry skin colour, hermaphrodite flowers, use as a wine grape and a muscat taste; the country of origin is the United States.
According to VIVC the parents are St. Pepin and Elmer Swenson 6-8-25. The breeders are Peter Hemstad and James Luby of the University of Minnesota Horticultural Research Center; the cross was made in 1988 and the seedling was selected in 1992. VIVC lists one synonym, Minnesota 1166 (MN 1166).
The University of Minnesota introduced La Crescent in 2002 as a white wine grape that is very cold hardy and moderately disease resistant. Its licensing page states that vines have tolerated vineyard temperatures as low as -36 °F (about -38 °C) in early February with only minor bud loss, and that the variety ripens in mid-season. The relatively high sugar and acidity levels have led winemakers to ferment it in a sweet or semi-sweet style.
La Crescent is a patented variety: the university lists US plant protection USPP14617 and Canadian Plant Breeders' Rights certificate 4454, and vines may be propagated only by licensed nurseries. In the university's Minnesota trials it has been grown on a high cordon training system; the university describes it as too sprawling for vertical shoot positioning.
On an EU wine label the name of a variety may be used if at least 85 % of the wine comes from it (Article 50 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33).
How it connects to Wine
🍇 La Crescent → kind of → 🍇 Grape varieties → kind of → 🍷 Wine
Links
- Part of
- 🍇 Grape varieties
- Related to
- 🍷 Sweet wine
- Parents
- 🍇 St. Pepin
Frequently asked questions
What colour are La Crescent grapes?
According to VIVC, the berry skin of La Crescent is white.
What are the parents of La Crescent?
VIVC gives St. Pepin and Elmer Swenson 6-8-25, bred by Peter Hemstad and James Luby at the University of Minnesota (crossed 1988).
How cold hardy is La Crescent?
The University of Minnesota describes it as very cold hardy; vines have tolerated vineyard temperatures as low as -36 °F (about -38 °C) with only minor bud loss.
Similar
🍇 Vignoles · 🍇 Nosiola · 🍇 Klarnica · 🍇 Manzoni Moscato · 🍇 Ucelut · 🍇 Scuppernong
Sources
- VIVC passport 17632 (LA CRESCENT)
- University of Minnesota Technology Commercialization: Cold Hardy La Crescent Grape Variety
- University of Minnesota, Minnesota Hardy: All U of M Grape Varieties
- Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33, Article 50 (name of wine grape variety)
- Wikidata