10 of the Most Popular Hybrid Grapes [Infographic]

Veni, vidi, … Vitis vinifera.

That’s not quite how Ceasar’s notorious phrase goes, but it very well could be the one that captures the centuries-long success story of Vitis vinifera grapes. Vitis vinifera is the binomial name of the common grape vine indigenous to Europe that produces many of today’s winemaking grapes. For just about all of winemaking history, they came, saw, and conquered.

But as gene-manipulating technology develops and climate change casts its long shadow over the world, viticultural norms are being upended to make room for a new class of winemaking grapes. Referred to as hybrid grapes, these varieties are crosses between vinifera grapes and a variety of grape species native to North America.

Early production of hybrid grapes was initiated by the phylloxera bug that plagued Europe in the mid-1800s. In response, European winemakers grafted Vitis vinifera grapevines onto North American roots — since phylloxera came from the Americas, the continent’s grapes are immune to the bug. But additional damaging forces have given winemakers cause to create new weather- and disease-resistant grape varieties.

The future of wine might be looking away from Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, and the like and toward Baco Noir and Seyval Blanc. Here are the 10 most common hybrid grapes so far.

Baco Noir

French grape breeder François Baco invented Baco Noir by crossing Folle Blanche, the popular grape in Armagnac and Cognac, with an unknown grape from the Vitis riparia species amid the phylloxera crisis in Europe in the late 19th century. Early on, regions like Burgundy and the Loire Valley grew Baco Noir, but it eventually fizzled out in France and became popular in the northeast U.S. and parts of Canada. In addition to phylloxera, this cool climate-suitable red grape is known for its resistance to mildew and rotting.

Catawba

While Catawba is a hybrid grape, it is widely recognized as native to the U.S. Catawba’s parent grapes are unknown, but after its invention, it eventually became the most commonly grown grape in the U.S. by the 1800s. That was until a number of factors — mildew, the Civil War, and Prohibition — thwarted its success and erased it from the American wine landscape. Now, as hybrids gain traction, Catawba is a popular choice among American winemakers who prioritize working with native species. Winemakers in the Finger Lakes are particularly responsible for this resurgence. Catawba wines — typically light reds, rosés, and sparkling wines — feature the fruit’s signature, pinkish hue and high acidity.

Cayuga

Cayuga was first bred on the banks of Seneca Lake of the Finger Lakes as a cross between Schuyler and Seyval Blanc, another North American-made hybrid created to withstand New York State’s harsh winters. Cayuga plots have since spread from the Finger Lakes and are popular in other northern states like Vermont and Massachusetts. This white grape can produce a wide range of wines — it can be light and dry or more rounded and sweet — depending on the time of harvest.

Chambourcin

Also of disputed genetic origins, Chambourcin is a red grape variety hailing from France. It is widely known for its dark purple hue, and many winemakers around the world blend vinifera grapes with Chambourcin to impart an inky pigment in a wine. This practice is especially popular in Australia, where winemakers pair the grape with Shiraz for a deeper color. In the U.S., Chambourcin is most common in midwestern states like Missouri and Indiana.

La Crescent

La Crescent is one of the more recently developed hybrid varieties. This white grape, a blend of five different species, was bred for cool-climate resistance at the University of Minnesota in the early 2000s. Though it sprouted in the midwest, its popularity spread to New York and Vermont, where one of the most forward-thinking hybrid growers La Garagista raises the grape. La Crescent produces sweet-leaning wines, though its prevalent acidity means they’re well-balanced.

Lenoir

While the progenitors of Lenoir are unknown, it is likely a derivative of five grapes. Lenoir, a dark-skinned red grape indigenous to Texas, is referred to under a slew of monikers like Black Spanish and Jacquez. Outside of Texas, regions in Mexico and Brazil also grow Lenoir, crafting wines with jammy, red-fruit qualities.

Marquette

Marquette is among the most popular — if not the most popular — hybrid grapes in the U.S. The University of Minnesota crossbred this red grape in 1989 but didn’t release it to the public until 2006. Marquette is a hybrid of two hybrids, and, despite its lengthy genetic history, it’s in the Pinot Noir family. This grape produces medium-bodied wines with strong notes of red and dark fruit and is particularly suited to cool-climate regions like Vermont and New York.

Regent

Chambourcin is the parent to Regent, a red hybrid grape first bred in 1967 in Pfalz, Germany. Among its other antecedents are Silvaner and Muller Thurgau. Regent is known for its remarkably thick skins, which lend a dark hue like Chambourcin and strong tannins. While in the past Regent was often included in blends to impart color and textural structure, it is increasingly used in single-varietal bottles.

Seyval Blanc

Seyval Blanc is a white grape hybrid developed in France in the early 20th century. Today, it’s popular for its early-season ripening, meaning it avoids the fruit-killing conditions that arise in later months of the year. Though the grape originated in France, it is now popular in the U.S. and Canada, where the wines it produces are often compared to Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. Seyval Blanc is also one of the parents of hybrid grape Cayuga.

Vidal

Drinkers of ice wine have likely already tasted Vidal, a grape popular in Ontario and the Finger Lakes. Vidal is a cross of Trebbiano and fellow hybrid Seibel. This white grape is suited to cold climates — particularly those that produce ice wine — because its thick skin protects the flesh from frost, wind, and snow. Aside from its popularity in ice wine, Vidal yields herbaceous, earthy, and high-acid wines.

*Image retrieved from Rostislav Sedlacek via stock.adobe.com

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