I am new to grape growing. I live in an Earthship home with a huge south-facing planter. The altitude here in southern Colorado is 8500'. I would like to know which kind of wine grape is the most trouble-free and disease resistant to grow in these conditions. Preferrably a type that requires no pollination. My grandmother had Concords which I loved. What about those? Thanks so much for your feedback! Peppermint Patty
Concords are about the most trouble free grapes there are. All grapes (all plants for that matter) require pollination to produce fruit... that's what fruit is, so I don't know what you are really asking for. But the short answer is Concord Grapes. M.
There is a wine grape called Regent, origionally developed for the organic wine industry in Germany, that might be worth trying. If well grown, it is supposed to produce a full bodied red wine. Concords tend to have a foxy flavor that is not as desirable for winemaking, tho they are quite easy to grow.
Thanks for the feedback! I guess the self-pollination idea came from this article: The pollination requirements of grapes, somewhat like that of citrus (see "Citrus") are complex and for similar reasons; namely, different species, hybrids, and cultivars are involved. The pollination picture is further clouded by the fact that these have been intercrossed and selected for self-fertility and that the observations have been reported over a long period of time, from different areas and at different stages in the development of a cultivar. Olmo (1936) spoke of one cultivar of V. vinifera that was parthenocarpic, being capable of producing fruit without pollination although its pollen was viable. Since the grapes will be grown indoors, I thought this would save me from having to pollinate without insects.
