Vitis labrusca x vinifera Topazia - Dessert Grape

The 'Topazia' table grapevine is a recent hybrid variety that stands out for its great natural resistance to diseases, "white" seedless grapes with a delicious wild strawberry aroma, and particularly early fruit ripening. This vine produces moderately sized clusters abundantly every year. This vine requires little maintenance, except for pruning in late winter. It can be grown in the garden, on a pergola or arbour, or trained against a wall. It can also be cultivated in a large container on the terrace!

Vitis 'Topazia' is a horticultural selection belonging to the 'Fragola' grape group. These are hybrids of Vitis labrusca and Vitis vinifera with uncertain origins. Their flagship variety, the strawberry grape 'Fragola Nera', is likely the result of a spontaneous cross-breeding that occurred in the United States during the trials of European grape varieties. It seems that the arrival of phylloxera, which decimated the European vineyards at the end of the 19th century, can be attributed to these resistant hybrids imported to the old continent for winemaking. However, their grapes produce more toxic methanol during the fermentation process, and their winemaking has been prohibited. On the other hand, it is these molecules that give the 'Fragola' type grape its typical strawberry aroma. The 'Fragola' grape varieties were on the verge of disappearing from cultivation. But their exceptional aromatic flavour allowed these vines to continue to be cultivated for table grape harvest. All grapevines belong to the Vitaceae family.

Vitis 'Topazia' is a sarmentous, climbing shrub, whose twisting stems with tendrils can exceed 5m in length over time. It forms a trunk, often knotty and twisted, covered with fibrous, reddish-brown bark that flakes off in strips as it ages. Its long green stems bear beautiful round, medium green leaves, with toothed edges, hairy on the underside, turning yellow before falling in autumn. It blooms in late spring, from May to June depending on the region, in the form of dense and well-formed pyramidal to cylindrical clusters, loaded with tiny nectar-rich green flowers. After pollination by insects, the berries we call grapes are formed.

The 'Topazia' grapevine produces moderately sized to small pyramidal (between 200 and 300 grams), somewhat loose clusters, composed of round, medium size, yellow-green grapes. Their pulp is juicy and seedless, with a typical wild strawberry aroma.

The 'Topazia' strawberry grape is very hardy and easy to grow in any well-drained garden soil, ideal for beginner gardeners or organic cultivation. The vigorous plant is pruned in late winter, after the frost, above 3 buds (buds) to promote the formation of new shoots that will flower. When planted in full sun, it will be very decorative along a wall, on an arbour, a pergola, in the ground, or in a large container on a terrace, sheltered from strong winds.