🍇 Sheegene 20

Sheegene 20 is a red seedless table grape of the species Vitis vinifera, bred in California by Timothy P. Sheehan. It gives medium-large oval red berries with firm flesh, a mild aroma and very good flavour, and ripens late in the season. The international grape catalogue VIVC lists two other names for it: Allison and the breeding number 9-704. ¹³

In the United States the variety is protected as Plant Patent PP23,125, filed on 1 July 2011 and granted on 23 October 2012 to Sheehan Genetics, LLC. The patent claims it for its medium to large red seedless grapes that ripen later than Flame Seedless, the variety it most resembles. ³

The bunch. Clusters are conical and compact, about 18.6 cm long and 12.2 cm wide, weigh around 511 g and carry 45–75 berries. ³

The vine. It is vigorous and productive and bears regularly, trained on wide cordons in a T shape. The leaves are pentagonal, about 12 × 18 cm, with four lobes, and a vine can carry up to 64 flower clusters; in 2010 it bloomed on 9–12 May. VIVC lists its flowers as hermaphrodite. ¹³

In Europe. Italy's National Register of Grapevine Varieties lists it as Sheegene 20 N. under code 728, proposed by the nursery Vitroplant, admitted on 22 April 2011 and published in the Gazzetta Ufficiale No. 170 of 23 July 2011. The register file includes its DNA profile at the standard microsatellite loci. ²

Its parents. The seed parent is Red Globe, itself a patented variety (US Plant Patent 4,787), and the pollen parent is Princess. VIVC records the full pedigree as confirmed by DNA markers. ¹³