Vanessa

Grape

Size

Medium berries, oblong/oval

Shape

Medium, compact, well-filled clusters; deep bright red berries with moderate bloom

Flavor

Sweet, fruity, mildly aromatic - notably not "foxy"/labrusca in character despite its American-hybrid parentage

Texture

Seedless; firm, crisp flesh, non-slipskin

Ripening window

Early-mid season (would ripen earlier than its typical late-Sep timing in cooler climates, likely August in zone 8a heat)

Best uses

Fresh eating (top-tier quality among seedless reds), raisins, juice

Pollination

Self-fertile - no pollinator needed

Tree size

Moderately vigorous, thornless vine; among the hardier seedless cultivars; standard trellising

Notes

American-hybrid seedless red grape, bred by O.A. Bradt and K.H. Fisher at the Horticultural Research Institute of Ontario, Canada (Seneca x NY 45910), released 1983. Hardy to about -20F, zones 5-9. No university-sourced disease data found, including no Pierce's Disease data; not on Texas A&M AgriLife's PD-tolerant list, and its Ontario breeding origin (outside PD-pressure regions) gives no reason to assume tolerance - one retail nursery markets it as "very disease resistant" but that claim isn't sourced. Performs best with warm summers, which bodes well for Texas heat independent of the PD question. Bears fruit within 3-5 years of planting.