FoodFood InformationFruitGrapes
The Exotic is a variety that is well named for its appearancebut not for its flavor. It is the first blue-skinned variety to arrive inmarket, with a season from June to August. It features very large, colorfulberries and a mild, not too sweet, flavor. It is fairly fragile. It lookslike, and is often mistaken for, the later arriving but superior flavoredRibier variety.
The Ribier is the best blue-skinned variety. It features very largedark-blue berries. It has a crisp texture, a tender skin, and a sweet, full-bodiedflavor. The Ribiers arrive in August and wind up in February. Note the Augustarrival date. Any blue grape purchased in June and July is of the less-flavored,look-alike Exotic variety. Ribiers are also imported from Chile during thewinter months.
The Niabell is a American-European hybrid. Slips its skin and tasteslike a Concord. August & September.
The most common American variety is the blue-skinned Concord. Thereis also the red Catawba, the white (amber) Niagara, and the pink Delaware.Most of the Labrusca grapes are produced in the Northeast and Midwest, butsome are also grown in the Pacific Northwest.
These slip-skin grapes have a fine aroma, a musky, semisweet flavor, andare pulpy in texture. Only a small portion of the slip-skin varieties issold as table grapes. Nearly all of the supply is sold to commercial processorsof jelly, jam, grape juice, and sacramental wine. The American grapes arein season for only two or three months during the fall and they are quitefragile. At one time, when putting up homemade jelly was in vogue, a fairsupply of Concord grapes was sold to consumers. Today, only a limited amountreaches the retail marketplace. As yet, none of the American-type grapesare imported from the Southern Hemisphere in the off-season.
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