Cultivar List

Muscadines

Black Beauty
Fry
Fry Seedless
Jumbo
Magnolia
Tara

Bunch Grapes

'Blue Lake'
'Buffalo'
Canadice Seedless
Catawba
Concord
'Daytona'
Delaware
Diamond
'Himrod' seedless
'Lake Emerald'
Lakemont seedless
New York Muscat
Niagara
Price
'Red Flame' seedless
'Reliance' Seedless
Roucaneuf SV 12-309
Stover
Suwannee
Vanessa Seedless

Bunch grapes are a challenge in the Southeastern U.S. This is mostly due to disease and pest pressure. You can grow them, but they don't live long, in general. Some newer cultivars, particularly from Southern breeding programs are overcoming this general rule-of-thumb. It certainly should be possible to breed well-adapted bunch grapes in any part of the Southeast. You can find very healthy wild grapes in basically any microclimate in the South. I found one nice grape in a swamp on our family's farm. The berries were huge and tasty and the vine was disease-free. Unfortunately, it was probably lost to "development" after my father died. To those who point to the multiple vinifera wineries springing up in the South, I ask them to go back to that vineyard in 7 years and ask how many vines they've replanted. Ask about their spray program. The truth about viniferas in the South ain't pretty. The main disease limitation is Pierce's disease, but the rest of the Southern grape disease complex adds pressure.
Muscadine grapes are a happier story. There are some excellent muscadine cultivars that need little care beyond their first couple of years and will produce loads of aromatic, sweet grapes. Some non-Southerners complain about the tough skin of muscadines, but if you grow up with it, it's not something we notice. It's just the way muscadines are, and we love them. Maybe it is best for the uninitiated to be introduced to them as "muscadines", not "muscadine grapes". They are a different eating experience than bunch grapes, barely more comparable than apples are to oranges.
Note that hardiness estimates come mostly from Yankee estimators, so don't take into account the wild fluctuations in temperature that we experience in Southern winters. Grapes that are perfectly hardy in upstate New York may not be hardy in the South. They were bred to take the cold if it gets cold and stays cold (though that pattern seems to be changing now). Those grapes think its Spring during one of our warm spells and then get zapped by the next cold spell.

Black Beauty
Breeder(s): Bill Fry, Ison's Nursery, Brooks, Georgia. .
History: US Plant Patent #7267.
Orchards grown in: Apex, NC and Pittsboro, NC.
Notes:
Fruit quality: 23° Brix. High % dry stem scar according to Ison's, only 59% dry scar according to Alabama Extension Service. Percent dry stem scar is not usually a big deal for a homegrower, it is more impactful for commercial growers who want a long shelf life. Exceptionally good flavor. In my opinion, the best-tasting muscadine.
Fruit appearance: Purple berries.
Pollination: Pistillate, needs a pollinizer.
Bottom line: Highly Recommended.
References other than my own experience:
Ison's Nursery.
Alabama Extension Service

Dixie Red
Breeder(s): Bill Fry, Ison's Nursery, Brooks, Georgia. .
History: US Plant Patent #4770
Orchards grown in: Apex and Pittsboro, NC.
Notes:
Fruit quality: 17° Brix. xx % dry stem scar. Said to be good for wine.
Fruit appearance: Red berries.
Pollination: Self-fertile and a good pollinizer for other muscadines.
Bottom line: Recommended. Very productive.
References other than my own experience:
Ison's Nursery.

Fry
Breeder(s): Bill Fry, Ison's Nursery, Brooks, Georgia.
History:
Orchards grown in: Coal Mountain, Georgia.
Notes:
Fruit quality: 23° Brix. 53% dry stem scar.
Fruit appearance: Bronze, large berries.
Pollination: Pistillate, needs a pollinizer.
Bottom line: Recommended.
References other than my own experience:
Ison's Nursery.
University of Georgia Extension

Fry Seedless
Breeder(s): Bill Fry, Ison's Nursery, Brooks, Georgia.
History: xxx.
Orchards grown in: Apex and Pittsboro, North Carolina.
Notes:
Fruit quality: 16° Brix. Relatively small berries.
Fruit appearance: Red berries.
Pollination: Self-fertile, but you will get better crops with a pollinizer.
Bottom line: Recommended, but it is an erratic producer and the berries are relatively small.
References other than my own experience:
Ison's Nursery.

Hall
Breeder(s): University of Georgia.
History: Originated from a Fry X Tara cross made in 2001. Released in 2014. Named for Dr. Mel Hall, the former head of the UGA muscadine breeding program (1997-2003) who made the cross
Orchards grown in: Los Angeles County, California.
Notes:
Fruit quality: 18° Brix according to Ison's, 14.5% soluble solids according to UGA (° Brix & % soluble solids are essentially the same measurements). Large. "Sweet and juicy with excellent flavor."
Fruit appearance: Yellow-golden berries; high dry scar percentage (around 90% with some year-to-year variation).
Harvest season:  Early; begins at the end of July in Tifton, GA. Pollination: Self-fertile, but you will get better crops with a pollinizer.
Vine:  Vigorous, disease resistant and a heavy bearer. Bottom line: No experience yet.
References other than my own experience:
Ison's Nursery.
Conner, Patrick. 2014. HORTSCIENCE.  49(5):688–690.

Jumbo
Breeder(s): Bill Fry, Ison's Nursery, Brooks, Georgia.
History: xxx.
Orchards grown in: Coal Mountain, Georgia.
Notes:
Fruit quality: 15° Brix. xx% dry stem scar. Huge berries.
Fruit appearance: Purple berries.
Pollination: Pistillate, needs a pollinizer.
Bottom line: Recommended.
References other than my own experience:
Ison's Nursery.

Magnolia
Breeder(s): xxx.
History: Results from a cross of xxx and was released in 19xx.
Orchards grown in: Coal Mountain, Georgia.
Notes:
Fruit quality: 15° Brix. 60% dry stem scar. Known as a muscadine for making white wine. Usually muscadine wine is sweet to some degree, from sweet like a sweet vinifera wine to sweet like pancake syrup. We have gotten excellent truly dry wines from Vineyards on the Scuppernong in Columbia, North Carolina, but nowhere else. Furthermore, we were recently notified that they have stopped making the dry muscadine wines because they didn't sell well. It is a shame. They did a great job and made wonderful dry muscadine wines, showing that it could be done well, that the aromatic essence of the muscadine could be preserved in a wine that doesn't make one sick with the sweetness.
Fruit appearance: Bronze berries.
Pollination: Self-fertile and a good pollinizer for other muscadines.<
Bottom line: Recommended.
References other than my own experience:
Ison's Nursery.
University of Georgia Extension

Paulk
Breeder(s): University of Georgia.
History: Named in Honor of Jacob Paulk, Founder of Paulk Vineyards. Originated as a Supreme X Tara cross and tested as GA 6-2-26. Released in 2017.
Orchards grown in: Los Angeles County, California.
Notes:
Fruit quality: 14.2° Brix. "First self-fertile cultivar where berry size has continued to be large over time." (Ison's)
Fruit appearance: Deep purple (black) berries; similar in color to 'Supreme' and a little less dark than 'Lane'. High dry scar percentage (~85%).
Harvest season:  Mid-late; First pick around August 20 in Tifton, GA. Pollination: Self-fertile.
Vine:  Vigorous, disease resistant and consistent high yields. In fact, it's recommended that you thin the crop in some years to maintain fruit quality and vine health. It's also somewhat more susceptible to fruit rots than many other muscadines according to UGA. Bottom line: No experience yet.
References other than my own experience:
Ison's Nursery.
Patrick Conner presentation. University of Georgia.

Tara
Breeder(s): R.P. Lane, University of Georgia.
History: Results from a cross of 'Summit’ X ‘Triumph’ and was released in 1960.
Orchards grown in: Pittsboro, NC.
Notes:
Fruit quality: 17° Brix (13.9% SS in one UGA study). 91% dry stem scar (83% in cited UGA study).
Fruit appearance: Bronze (green) fruit.
Pollination: Self-fertile and a good pollinizer for other muscadines.
Bottom line: Recommended.
References other than my own experience:
Ison's Nursery.
R.P. Lane. 1993. 'Tara' Muscadine Grape. Hortscience. 28(3):232.

Blue Lake
Breeder(s): L.H. Stover, University of Florida.
History: Results from a cross of Fla. 43-47 X 'Caco' ('Catawba' X 'Concord') and was released in 1960.
Species composition: V. simpsonii, V. labrusca, with probably a small amount of V. vinifera.
Orchards grown in: Coal Mountain, Georgia.
Notes:
Fruit quality: Flavor is very much like 'Concord' to me. Slipskin.
Fruit appearance: Purple/blue berries.
Diseases: Resistant to Pierce's and most of the rest of the southern disease complex.
Hardiness: I don't find a number, but I never observed winter dieback in North Georgia.
Bottom line: Recommended to give it a try in your area as a possible substitute for 'Concord'.
References other than my own experience:
L.H. Stover. University of Florida. 1960. Circular S-120.

Buffalo
Breeder(s): ***.
History: ***.
Species composition: Likely mostly V. labrusca.
Orchards grown in: Coal Mountain, Georgia.
Notes:
Fruit quality: Flavor is a aromatic, sweet, and uniquely delicious. This is definitely my favorite-flavored blue grape that isn't a muscadine.
Fruit appearance: Deep purple with a waxy bloom that makes them look blue. Large berries.
Diseases: Tolerant of much of the disease complex in the South, but not Pierce's Disease resistant, so you will have to re-plant every 6-12 years.
Hardiness: I don't find a number, but I never observed winter dieback in North Georgia.
Bottom line: Recommended only for connoisseurs in the Upper and Middle South. The vines will not live a very long time, but the flavor is so unique and delicious that it may be worth giving it a try in your area.
References other than my own experience:

Canadice Seedless
Breeder(s): Cornell University.
History: From a ‘Bath’ x 'Himrod' cross made in 1954, selected in 1962; tested as NY 45625 and released in 1965.
Species composition: V. vinifera, and V. labrusca
Orchards grown in: Coal Mountain, Georgia, and Apex, NC.
Notes:
Fruit quality: Flavor is sweet and spicy with tender, crisp slip-skins and a touch of that wonderful perfume imparted by the bit of labrusca parentage. It is my favorite fresh-eating seedless grape for flavor.
Fruit appearance: Red berries.
Diseases: Generally disease resistant, but not as much as 'Reliance'.
Hardiness: I don't find a number, but I had no problems with winter dieback. Interestingly, Cornell says they get some winterkill in New York. It seems to be a bit more tolerant of our temperature swings, but may not be quite as tolerant of extreme cold, which isn't an issue down South anyway.
Bottom line: Highly recommended except in the Deep South.
References other than my own experience:
Winegrower's Supplies.
Cornell University

Catawba
Breeder(s): unknown.
History: 'Catawba' is the quintessential red American grape in the long reign of the red, white, and blue triumvirate of 'Catawba', 'Niagara' and 'Concord', respectively. Even today, you can find several wineries in the Finger Lakes region producing Catawba wine. They are usually sweet to some degree, but I recall one being particularly good, at least as a summer picnic wine, unfortunately, I am uncertain which winery we got that from. For more history of this grape, see the entry in The Grapes of New York. For instance, not many grapes can claim to have a poem devoted to them by Longfellow, which I copy here from The Grapes of New York: "Very good in its way is the Verzenay
Or the Sillery, soft and creamy, But Catawba wine has a taste more divine,
More dulcet, delicious and dreamy. There grows no vine, by the haunted Rhine,
By the Danube or Guadalquiver, Nor island or cape, that bears such a grape
As grows by the beautiful River."
Species composition: Probably V. labrusca X V. vinifera
Orchards grown in: Coal Mountain, Georgia.
Notes:
Fruit quality: Flavor is sweet and aromatic. Of the classic big three of Eastern American grapes, it is the best-tasting, in my opinion, although it is also the most disease-susceptible.
Fruit appearance: Red berries.
Diseases: Generally disease-resistant, but I observed fairly prevalent mildew and some black rot without spraying.
Hardiness: Hardy. No winter dieback.
Bottom line: Recommended for the Upper South and mountain counties because of its taste, but if you are limited by space or time, you should probably select from among the more disease-resistant, excellent modern grapes from Southern breeding programs.
References other than my own experience:

Concord
Breeder(s): E. W. Bull of Concord, Massachusetts.
History: 'Concord' is the quintessential blue American grape in the long reign of the red, white, and blue triumvirate of 'Catawba', 'Niagara' and 'Concord', respectively. Even today, it is the primary juice and jelly grape in the country. It resulted from a seed of a wild grape that was planted in the fall of 1843 and released in 1852. For more history of this grape, see the entry in The Grapes of New York.
Species composition: Probably pure V. labrusca
Orchards grown in: Coal Mountain, Georgia.
Notes:
Fruit quality: Flavor is sweet and foxy. Very aromatic.
Fruit appearance: Blue-purple berries.
Diseases: Generally disease-resistant, but not as much as some more recent introductions.
Hardiness: Hardy. No winter dieback.
Bottom line: Not recommended because there are now grapes with the labrusca flavor that are better-tasting and more disease-resistant.
References other than my own experience:

Daytona
Breeder(s): L.H. Stover, University of Florida.
History: Results from a complex cross of Fla. B3-90 X 'Exotic' and was released in 1983. A more-detailed pedigree shows that 'Villard Blanc' and 'Golden Muscat' are also in its heritage.
Species composition: Likely a mixture of several American species with V. vinifera.
Orchards grown in: Coal Mountain, Georgia.
Notes:
Fruit quality: Flavor is supposedly very good, though I left home before I got to taste grapes from my vines. Non-slipskin. Supposedly makes a good wine.
Fruit appearance: Red berries.
Diseases: Resistant to Pierce's and downy mildew. Somewhat susceptible to anthracnose. My vines were healthy, but they were young.
Hardiness: I don't find a number, but I never observed winter dieback in North Georgia.
Bottom line: Recommended to give it a try in your area. In addition to providing grapes, it is a very ornamental vine, looking very much like a vinifera grape.
References other than my own experience:
Mortensen and Stover. University of Florida. 1983. Circular S-302.
Florida Grapes
Rombough, Lon. The Grape Grower. p. 206.

Delaware
Breeder(s): unknown, probably Paul H. Provost, Frenchtown, Kingswood Township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey.
History: This grape was released gradually, in the early 1850's. It was already known and prized in the neighborhood in New Jersey for several years before it was noticed by nurseries and pomological societies that brought it to the wider public's attention.
Species composition: Likely a mixture of several American species with V. vinifera.
Orchards grown in: Coal Mountain, Georgia.
Notes:
Fruit quality: Flavor is a floral, sweet, and uniquely delicious.
Fruit appearance: pinkish-red. Small berries.
Diseases: Fairly susceptible to the disease complex in the South.
Hardiness: I don't find a number, but I never observed winter dieback in North Georgia.
Bottom line: Recommended only for connoisseurs in the Upper and Middle South. The vines will not live a very long time, they are the least-vigorous I've grown, and they aren't very productive, but the flavor is so unique and delicious that it may be worth giving it a try in your area.
References other than my own experience:

Diamond
Breeder(s): Jacob Moore, Brighton, New York.
History: This release, in 1885, resulted from a 'Concord' X 'Iona' cross. It has won much praise since then for its flavor. It was the varietal used to make the first champagne (err, sparkling wine) exported to Europe from America.
Species composition: V. labrusca and V. vinifera mixture.
Orchards grown in: Coal Mountain, Georgia.
Notes:
Fruit quality: Flavor is a spicy, floral and sweet, really a flavor that I have not experienced in any other grape. On warm Summer days when it was ripening, you could smell the heavenly fragrance even before you entered the vineyard. It was the only grape in my vineyard that had foxes as a (minor) pest. I once saw a fox standing on its back legs and eating 'Diamond' grapes from the trellis. It was enjoying the grapes so much that it didn't hear me walking toward it until I got quite close.
Fruit appearance: Green-golden. Somewhat smaller berries than 'Niagara'.
Diseases: Disease tolerant.
Hardiness: I don't find a number, but I never observed winter dieback in North Georgia.
Bottom line: Recommended for the Upper and Middle South. The vines may not live a very long time because it is not very resistant to Pierce's, but it is worth replanting every decade to taste these wonderful grapes.
References other than my own experience:

Himrod seedless
Breeder(s): Cornell University, New York.
History: Cornell went about breeding for disease-resistant, winter-hardy seedless grapes. They may have succeeded for New York, but their winter-hardiness doesn't tranlate to the South's fluctuating temperatures. This one originated from an 'Ontario' X 'Thompson Seedless' cross and was released in 1952. It has turned out to be the most-successful seedless grape, in terms of acreage planted and production, of all of Cornell's seedless releases. In my opinion, it has a horrible name, despite the fact that it is named after a lovely town in New York State. Most people don't know the town, they just know it sounds like a disorder of the anus. You won't hear people saying, "Hey, let's go get some Himrods!"
Species composition: Mostly V. vinifera, but with some V. labrusca heritage, too.
Orchards grown in: Coal Mountain, Georgia.
Notes:
Fruit quality: Flavor is sour-sweet in our climate.
Fruit appearance: Green (aka white) berries.
Diseases: I don't recall it being affected by serious disease problems, but it is not Pierce's resistant.
Hardiness: Supposedly hardy, but that is only up North. Down in the South, it has to be removed from the trellis after leaf-fall and buried in the earth until Spring. Otherwise, it completely dies to the ground each Winter.
Bottom line: Not recommended. It is too much trouble to protect it in the Winter and the grapes just aren't that good.
References other than my own experience:
Cornell University

Lake Emerald
Breeder(s): L.H. Stover and G.H. Blackmon, University of Florida.
History: This release, in 1954, was part of a breeding program to create grape cultivars that were resistant to Pierce's disease, generally adapted to central Florida and were of superior quality. It resulted from a cross of an American grape, 'Pixiola' X 'Golden Muscat' ('Diamond' X 'Muscat Hamburg') made in 1945.
Species composition: Half V. simpsonii, from the 'Pixiola' parent, the other half comprised of a V. labrusca / V. vinifera mixture.
Orchards grown in: Coal Mountain, Georgia.
Notes:
Fruit quality: Flavor is a tart-sweet, a bit like the classic 'Niagara'. 22° Brix, according to the originator.
Fruit appearance: Green-golden. Somewhat smaller berries than 'Niagara'.
Diseases: Resistant to Pierce's disease, black rot and downy mildew.
Hardiness: I don't find a number, but I never observed winter dieback in North Georgia.
Bottom line: Recommended.
References other than my own experience:
Hedwig, Michel. "Lake Emerald Grape for Florida". Fort Myers New Press.
University of Florida Circular S-68.

Lakemont seedless
Breeder(s): Cornell University, New York.
History: Cornell went about breeding for disease-resistant, winter-hardy seedless grapes. They may have succeeded for New York, but their winter-hardiness doesn't tranlate to the South's fluctuating temperatures. This one originated from an 'Ontario' X 'Thompson Seedless' cross.
Species composition: Mostly V. vinifera, but with some V. labrusca heritage, too.
Orchards grown in: Coal Mountain, Georgia.
Notes:
Fruit quality: Flavor is sour. My least-favorite seedless grape.
Fruit appearance: Green (aka white) berries.
Diseases: Generally disease-susceptible, but I managed to get a few crops.
Hardiness: Supposedly hardy to -34°C (-30°F), but that is only up North. Down in the South, it has to be removed from the trellis after leaf-fall and buried in the earth until Spring. Otherwise, it completely dies to the ground each Winter.
Bottom line: Not recommended. It is too much trouble to protect it in the Winter and the grapes just aren't that good.
References other than my own experience:
Cornell University
The Tree Farm

New York Muscat
Breeder(s): Cornell University, New York.
History: I love the flavor of muscat grapes. This one originated from a 'Muscat Hamburg' X 'Ontario' cross.
Species composition: Mostly V. vinifera, but with some V. labrusca heritage, too.
Orchards grown in: Coal Mountain, Georgia.
Notes:
Fruit quality: Flavor is nice muscat. It can be used to make sweet or dry wines, but our hot nights don't bring out the best in this grape, so I'd keep looking for a source of grapes for a southern- grown muscat wine.
Fruit appearance: Green (aka white) berries.
Diseases: Generally disease-susceptible, but I managed to get a few crops.
Hardiness: Incompletely hardy. Some winter dieback.
Bottom line: Not recommended because it suffers too much from the pest and disease pressure in the South.
References other than my own experience:
AppellationAmerica.com

Niagara
Breeder(s): C. L. Hoag and B. W. Clark of Lockport, Niagara County, New York.
History: 'Niagara' is the quintessential white American grape in the long reign of the red, white, and blue triumvirate of 'Catawba', 'Niagara' and 'Concord', respectively. 'Niagara' even tastes quite a bit like 'Concord', which is not surprising since it resulted from a 'Concord' X 'Cassady' cross. If your grandparents had a white bunch grape in the South, it was probably a 'Niagara'. For more history of this grape, see the entry in The Grapes of New York. It was released in 1882.
Species composition: Probably pure V. labrusca
Orchards grown in: Coal Mountain, Georgia.
Notes:
Fruit quality: Flavor is very much like 'Concord'.
Fruit appearance: Green (aka white) berries.
Diseases: Generally disease-resistant, but not as much as some more recent introductions.
Hardiness: Hardy. No winter dieback.
Bottom line: Not recommended because there are now grapes with the labrusca flavor that are better-tasting and more disease-resistant.
References other than my own experience:

Price
Breeder(s): Virginia Polytechnic Institute.
History: ***.
Species composition: Complex hybrid that includes V. labrusca
Orchards grown in: Coal Mountain, Georgia.
Notes:
Fruit quality: Flavor is very much like 'Concord', but is slightly sweeter and less astringent with more tender skin. In Lon Rombough's vineyard, 'Concord' grapes are typically 16°Brix, whereas 'Price' reaches 22°Brix. Lon was in Oregon, so our Brix would likely be lower because of our hot nights.
Fruit appearance: Blue berries.
Diseases: Generally disease-resistant, more so than 'Concord'.
Hardiness: Hardy to -32°C (25°F)
Bottom line: Recommended for those who love 'Concord' grapes.
References other than my own experience:
Lon Rombough.

Red Flame Seedless
Breeder(s): John J. Kovacevich of Arvin, California.
History: I so loved these grapes from the store when they first appeared, that I thought, against my better judgment, "Why not try them?" I knew they were pure vinifera, but I planted one anyway. It died quickly after contracting more diseases than you can shake a stick at. From an cross that includes 'Thompson Seedless' and 'Cardinal' in the heritage. It was released in 1973.
Species composition: V. vinifera
Orchards grown in: Coal Mountain, Georgia.
Notes:
Fruit quality: Flavor is very sweet with crisp skin. When well-grown, it is one of my two favorite grocery-store grapes. Alas, it can't handle the Southeast's humidity and pests. Thanks to the tireless efforts of the plant breeders at the University of Arkansas, we have several excellent seedless grapes that we can grow.
Fruit appearance: Red berries.
Diseases: Susceptible to everything, including Pierce's disease, anthracnose and mildew.
Hardiness: Not winter hardy. Died to the ground during winter.
Bottom line: Not recommended. Avoid!
References other than my own experience:
Wikipedia.

Reliance Seedless
Breeder(s): University of Arkansas.
History: From an ‘Ontario’ x V. ‘Suffolk Red’ cross and released in 1965.
Species composition: V. vinifera, and V. labrusca
Orchards grown in: Coal Mountain, Georgia, and Apex, NC.
Notes:
Fruit quality: Flavor is sweet with a dollop of labrusca tartness and aroma. It is one of my favorite fresh-eating seedless grapes, only surpassed by 'Canadice'.
Fruit appearance: Red berries.
Diseases: Generally disease resistant.
Hardiness: I don't find a number, but I had no problems with winter dieback.
Bottom line: Highly recommended except in the Deep South.
References other than my own experience:
Missouri Botanical Garden.

Roucaneuf SV 12-309
Breeder(s): Georges Couderc and Albert Siebel.
History: Resulted from a breeding program started by Eugene Contassot, Aubenas, France in the late 1800's and then continued in the area of Cologne (Köln), Germany. This program aimed to create phylloxera-resistant grapevines that produced great vinifera-style wine. By chance, this cultivar is also pretty well adapted to the South. This grape has also been further used in breeding to produce more wine grapes. One that I find particularly intriguing is 'Risus', which is a 'Riesling' X 'Roucaneuf SV 12-209' offspring. I love dry Rieslings and wonder what a varietal from this would taste like.
Species composition: V. vinifera, V. Lincecumii, and V. rupestris
Orchards grown in: Coal Mountain, Georgia and Pittsboro, NC.
Notes:
Fruit quality: Flavor is a subtle-sweet. It is really a wine grape, not so much an eating grape as the berries are quite small. 17-18 Brix, according to the originator.
Fruit appearance: Grayish-pink, small berries.
Diseases: Resistant to Pierce's disease and black rot.
Hardiness: I don't find a number, but I rarely observed winter dieback in North Georgia.
Bottom line: If you want to make vinifera-type wines in the South, you want to grow this grape. Recommended. It is also a beautiful vine, with ornamental serrated leaves that clearly derive from the vinifera side of its background. If you just want a table grape, there are better choices.
References other than my own experience:
Edible Landscaping.
Resistantgrapes.com
H.C. Barrett. 1956. The French Hybrid Grapes. National Horticultural Magazine.

Stover
Breeder(s): J.A. Mortensen, University of Florida.
History: Resulted from a 'Mantey' x 'Seyve-Villard 12-309' cross. This release, in 1968, was part of a breeding program to create grape cultivars that were resistant to Pierce's disease, generally adapted to central Florida and were of superior quality.
Species composition: V. coriacea, V. vinifera, and V. rupestris
Orchards grown in: Coal Mountain, Georgia.
Notes:
Fruit quality: Flavor is a tart-sweet, a bit like the classic 'Niagara' or 'Concord' but maybe not quite so aromatic. 17-18 Brix, according to the originator.
Fruit appearance: Green-golden.
Diseases: Resistant to Pierce's disease, black rot and downy mildew. University of Florida says it is susceptible to anthracnose and powdery mildew, but one must keep in mind that their standards for disease resistance were very high. I don't remember ever seeing anthracnose on my 'Stover' vines.
Hardiness: I don't find a number, but I never observed winter dieback in North Georgia.
Bottom line: Recommended.
References other than my own experience:
J.A. Mortensen. 1968. University of Florida. Bulletin S-95.

Suwannee
Breeder(s): J.A. Mortensen, University of Florida.
History: Results from a complex cross of Fla. C5-50 X Fla. F8-35. A more detailed look at its pedigree shows that 'Lake Emerald', 'Norris', 'Alden' and 'Villard Blanc' are also in its heritage.
Species composition: Mixture of several American species with V. vinifera.
Orchards grown in: Coal Mountain, Georgia.
Notes:
Fruit quality: Flavor is supposedly very good with slight muscat notes, though I left home before I got to taste grapes from my vines. Supposedly makes a very good white wine.
Fruit appearance: Golden-green berries.
Diseases: Generally resistant to the southern disease complex, including Pierce's. My vines were healthy, but they were young.
Hardiness: I don't find a number, but I never observed winter dieback in North Georgia.
Bottom line: Recommended to give it a try in your area.
References other than my own experience:
J.A. Mortensen. 1983. Suwanee circular-301.

Vanessa Seedless
Breeder(s): HIRO, Canada.
History: 'Vanessa' is an offspring of a 'Seneca' x New York 45910 ('Bath' x 'Interlaken seedless') cross. Bred at Vineland, Ontario, Canada.
Species composition: V. vinifera
Orchards grown in: Coal Mountain, Georgia.
Notes:
Fruit quality: Said to be one of the best-tasting seedless grapes. I moved before mine fruited, so I can't say nuthin'.
Fruit appearance: Red.
Diseases: Insufficient experience.
Hardiness: To -26°--29°C(-15-20°F).
Bottom line: Not enough experience to have an opinion.
References other than my own experience:
Lon Rombough.
Cornell University.
InlandDesert.com