Viticultural Information
Summer Muscat
Description
Species: Vitis vinifera Summer Muscat’ was released by the USDA Agricultural Research Service in 1999. It is the first release of a seedless muscat-flavored variety for raisin production by David Ramming of the Horticultural Crops Research Laboratory in Parlier. Its’ early ripening makes it suitable for dry on the vine (DOV) with cane cutting. ‘Summer Muscat’ resulted from the cross A4-162 X P100-111. A4-162 is a muscat flavored seedling of B37-45 =(Blackrose x P64-18 =[Muscat of Alexandria x Sultanina]) X Flame Seedless. P100-111 is a seedling of C1-133 =(Calmeria x Blackrose) X Autumn Seedless. ‘Summer Muscat’ ripens similar to or slightly ahead of ‘Fiesta’. Soluble solids reach 22 oBrix by the second to third week of August at which time the canes may be cut for DOV. The clusters are large in length but only medium (0.3 to 0.5 pounds) in weight. They are conical with shoulders and are loosely filled. The berries are white, seedless and of a size similar to ‘Fiesta’. The vine is potentially very vigorous and develops a dense canopy with limited trellising. It is more fruitful than either ‘Fiesta’ or ‘DOVine’, averaging 2 clusters per shoot on canes. It is also fruitful on spurs, producing 2X more fruit on the renewal spurs than ‘Fiesta’ or ‘Selma Pete’. For DOV with cane pruning, provision must be made to remove these clusters in the spring or to harvest them by hand after the canes have been cut for DOV. Having fruitful basal buds makes the variety suitable for spur pruning with bilateral or quadrilateral cordon training if the fruits are to be used for wine or concentrate. Raisin yields have averaged over 4 tons per acre with open gable trellising at the UC Kearney Agricultural Center, Parlier. Raisin quality is excellent – 85 to 90% B and better raisin grades with 21 to 22 oBrix soluble solids fruit. Muscat flavor is mild. More of the flavor is retained in DOV fruit as compared to tray-dried fruit. It produces excellent quality golden seedless raisins.
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 38-48 in: Raisin Production Manual. University of California, Agricultural and Natural Resources Publication 3393, Oakland, CA. Buy book
NGR Match
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