Cascade (grape)

History and pedigree

Cascade is a Seibel grape produced from a crossing of Seibel 7042 and Gloire de Seibel by Albert Seibel in the early 1930s. It was first released for commercial production in 1938, originally known as Seibel 13053. The Finger Lakes Wine Growers Association gave it the name "Cascade" in 1970, possibly because the highly productive vine bears fruit that appears to "cascade off the vine" like a waterfall, even from water sprouts and suckers. As an interspecific complex hybrid, its pedigree includes varieties from Vitis vinifera, Vitis labrusca, Vitis rupestris, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis lincecumii.

Its ancestors include Concord, Chasselas Musqué, the teinturier grape Alicante Bouschet, Alicante Ganzin, the Munson grape, and the rootstock Rupestris du Lot. In Canada, Cascade was crossed with Seyve-Villard at the University of Guelph Horticultural Research Institute of Ontario to produce the white wine grape L'Acadie blanc.

Viticulture

Cascade is a very early ripening variety that can be highly productive and high yielding, with berry skins that may have a bright blue hue. It is moderately winter hardy, withstanding temperatures down to -10 °F, and carries strawberry notes and aromas. The vine bears heavily—over 50 lbs per vine is common—and some growers believe it "can't be overcropped," meaning it retains its varietal character even at high yields. Its loose-berry clusters resist fungal infections such as downy and powdery mildew, but in some climates the vine is highly prone to soil-borne viral diseases like tomato ringspot virus, which causes yellow veins, stunted shoot growth, and poor fruit set.

Did You Know?

• In 1975 there were 183 acres (74 hectares) of Cascade planted in New York state.
• Cascade is usually ready for harvest by mid-August in Virginia.
• It is often blended with other hybrid grapes such as Maréchal Foch and Baco noir.