Viticultural Information
Black Monukka
Description
Species: Vitis vinifera 'Black Monukka' was received by the USDA ca. 1910 from England, where it had been acquired from India. Its true origin is not known; its name is thought to have originated from that of a Persian elongated grape, 'Munaqqa,' the name of which means "raisin." It has never been important in California's traditional raisin markets due to its larger raisin size, darker color, and larger seed traces in comparison to 'Thompson Seedless.' It is mostly used in specialty markets such as health food stores for its unique qualities, including blackish color, tender skin, and characteristic rich flavor. The 1997 California acreage report listed 359 acres for 'Black Monukka.' Raisin production has averaged 751 tons annually in the 10 years from 1988 to 1997. It is sometimes used as a table grape for local markets, and its response to gibberellic acid is similar to that of 'Thompson Seedless.' Its susceptibility to berry shatter and its thin skin rule it out as a shipping table grape. It is popular for home garden use. The vine is vigorous and productive under either spur or cane pruning. Most vineyards are cane pruned for better yields. The berries are large (average 3 grams), long oval to cylindroidal, red to reddish black when fully ripe, thin-skinned, and with firm pulp; they typically contain one or two seed traces of 2 to 4 mg dry weight. Clusters are very large, long, cylindrical, usually shouldered, well filled, and average 1.5 pounds (689 grams), with a range of 0.5 to 2.5 pounds (226 to 1,135 grams). The time of ripening is much influenced by the amount of crop; average crops will ripen a little ahead of 'Thompson Seedless.' Older plantings are known to carry leafroll-associated viruses, which reduce the red to black fruit color development, and result in highly variable (light to dark) grape and raisin color. New plantings should use only certified, virus-free propagating material.
Links
Foundation Plant Services at UC Davis is the source of Foundation grapevine material for the nursery industry, and the staff can provide information about possible sources for obtaining this stock. The National Grape Registry (NGR) contains information about varieties of wine, juice, and table grapes, raisins, and grape rootstocks available in the United States. Growers, nurseries, winemakers and researchers can find background information and source contacts for those grape varieties in this single convenient location.
Publications
Christensen, L.P. 2000. Raisin Grape Varieties (PDF). Pages 38-47 in: Raisin Production Manual. University of California, Agricultural and Natural Resources Publication 3393, Oakland, CA. Buy book
NGR Match
Monukka
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