Vitis vinifera Vanessa

The Table Grape or Vitis vinifera 'Vanessa' is a variety with red grapes highly appreciated for its taste. It is also very hardy and resistant to diseases. Fairly late, harvesting begins around mid-September in the south and early October in northern regions. Therefore, in the north, even if it withstands temperatures around -25°C (-13°F), it is not certain that the grapes will all ripen before the arrival of winter. It produces well-filled medium-sized clusters. The berries are round, medium-sized, crunchy, with firm flesh and crisp skin. They are red in colour and seedless, with a sweet, aromatic, fruity, and spicy flavor. This grape is perfect for consumption as a table grape, as well as for juice and wine.

The wine grape, in Latin Vitis vinifera, belongs to the Vitaceae family, just like the Virginia Creeper. It has been cultivated for thousands of years in North Africa, the Middle East, the Caucasus, and Europe. Between -1000 and -500 BC, it was introduced by the Romans to Italy, Sicily, Spain, Portugal, and the south of France. During this ancient period, wines were diluted with water and flavored with herbs and spices. It is from the Middle Ages that we find wine as we know it today. In the 17th century, winemaking shifted towards the search for higher quality wines, but at the end of the 19th century, the phylloxera destroyed a large part of the French vineyards, and it was in the 20th century that the science of winemaking, oenology, emerged. This species is cultivated for its clustered fruits called grapes, which can be consumed fresh as table grapes, fermented into wine, or dried as raisins.

The Vanessa variety was obtained in Canada in 1983. It forms a plant with long woody and climbing branches, called canes when they are mature and lignified, reaching 4 to 6 metres (13 to 20 feet) in spread, or even more when trained. The shoots are the young branches that bear the leaves, fruits, and tendrils that allow the vine to twine around a support. Its root system can reach up to 5 metres (16 feet) deep in the soil, providing the vine with good drought resistance. Very aesthetic, the branches are carried by a twisted trunk with bark that peels off in strips as it ages. With remarkable longevity, the vine can live for several centuries. Its deciduous foliage consists of large leaves measuring 8 to 16 cm (3 to 6in) in width, alternate, with 5 or 7 lobes, and toothed edges, attached to the branches by a long petiole. They change from light green during budburst to medium green during the season, and then turn shades of golden yellow, orange, and reddish-purple in autumn, offering a very colourful spectacle. The flowering, very discreet, occurs in May-June. Opposite the leaves, it appears in the form of a 10 to 12 cm (4 to 5in) long cluster composed of small insignificant yellow-green flowers with prominent stamens. As a self-fertile variety, the hermaphroditic flowers self-pollinate. To form the cluster, the fleshy and spherical berries are attached to the stem by small pedicels. The flower buds freeze as soon as -2°C (28.4°F), but the relatively late flowering of this variety hardly fears spring frosts. This plant is hardy, tolerating temperatures around -25°C (-13°F), and shows good resistance to diseases. Therefore, it is suitable for organic cultivation. This variety can be grown throughout France in sunny and warm locations, in well-drained, deep, even poor, dry, and chalky soil.

The Table Grape 'Vanessa' is a fairly productive and moderately vigorous variety. It is preferable to prune lightly to avoid exhausting it. To give the fruits a nice colouration, a light leaf removal can be practiced. The harvest, uniform and abundant, extends from late September to the end of October depending on the region and climate. It is important to only pick the fruits when they are ripe, as they do not ripen further, and to gently harvest the cluster with its stem using secateurs. One plant can produce a quantity of 20 to 30 kg per year, varying depending on vine management. Grapes can only be stored for a few days in a cool place or in the refrigerator.

Seedless, firm, juicy, and sweet, this table grape is delicious to enjoy raw. It is also an ideal fruit for making jam, jelly, and fruit juice; for making clafoutis, cakes, custards, or loaves; for preparing salads with other fruits; or for accompanying savory dishes based on poultry (turkey, chicken, quail, duck, etc.). It pairs perfectly with cheese, endives, walnuts, and cured ham. Rich in carbohydrates (glucose and fructose) from 16 to 18 g per 100 g, grapes are a calorie-dense fruit (approx. 80 Cal/100 g). Its content of vitamins B (B2, B6) and C, phenolic antioxidants, and fibres, as well as manganese, potassium, calcium, magnesium, with a significant iron intake, make grapes a health asset. They are a healthy, natural, and tasty fruit.

In addition to its fruit-bearing abilities, the Table Grape 'Vanessa' can showcase its ornamental qualities when trained on an arbor, pergola, or wall. To offer a tasting of table grapes from August to October, it can be interesting to associate it with other earlier varieties, such as: Golden Chasselas, Pink Chasselas, Roi des Précoces, Centennial Seedless, Perlette, Madeleine Royal, or later ones: Alphonse Lavallée, Centennial Seedless, Exalta, Muscat d'Alexandrie, Muscat de Hambourg, Sultanica Bianca. But in any case, among a wide range of grapevines, it is easy to find the one that best suits one's desires.

For a more urban use, it is entirely possible to grow a grapevine in a pot on a balcony or terrace, trained in a warm and well-pruned situation. In this configuration, the vine will be highly ornamental.