Vitis vinifera Aperina bianca - Grape vine

This 'Aperina Bianca' vine is part of a series of descendants of the 'Sultanine' grape (also known as 'Thompson Seedless'), a "seedless" variety cultivated on a large scale for the production of raisins. They all have the common characteristic of producing apyrene grapes, with atrophied seeds. Very enjoyable to taste, they will delight children! This 'Bianca' variety is similar to 'Italia', it is vigorous and resistant to cold. The plant produces large clusters of oval fruits, of good size, with slightly thick skin, and flesh that is juicy, fleshy, and sweet. The harvest takes place, depending on the regions, years, and climate, from late August to mid-September.

'Aperina Bianca' belongs, like all vines, to the Vitaceae family. Its first parent, the 'Sultanine' vine, is itself a very ancient hybrid, possibly originating from Afghanistan, which belongs to the category of white table grape varieties. The 'Sultanine' is a vigorous plant, which needs to be pruned long in late winter as its first buds do not produce flowers. It has passed on this characteristic to all its apyrene descendants.

The 'Aperina Bianca' vine is a woody climbing shrub, whose serpentine stems equipped with tendrils can exceed 5m (16ft) in length over time. It forms a trunk, often knotty and twisted, covered with fibrous and brown bark that flakes off in strips as it ages. Its long green stems bear beautiful round-shaped leaves, with serrated edges, of medium green colour, turning yellow before falling in autumn. It flowers in late spring, from May to June depending on the regions, in the form of dense and well-formed clusters, with a pyramidal shape, loaded with tiny green flowers. After pollination by insects, the berries that we call grapes are formed. Under their green to golden-green skin, quite thick and covered with a white bloom, the flesh is tender green in colour, almost devoid of true seeds. Juicy and sweet, it reveals a slightly musky aroma. This variety is pruned in late winter, after the frost, above 6-8 buds to promote the formation of new shoots that will flower.

Contrary to popular belief, seedless grapes are not genetically modified organisms, but they are the result of a complex selection process carried out by vine specialists. They are fruits borne by sterile hybrid plants, whose seeds, or seeds, are unable to develop: reduced to their simplest expression, these seeds are barely detectable in the mouth.

Planted in a sunny spot, the 'Aperina Bianca' vine will be very decorative along a wall, on a pergola, in the ground or in a large container on a terrace. This variety, both delicious and decorative, will be appreciated for garden ornamentation. Its fruits can be consumed as they are, mixed in fruit salads, as juice, or to garnish pies.