Rossiters Vineyard

Bred in Germany and first appeared in the UK in 1972.  Popular introduction.  Good quality wine, when fully ripe said to resemble Sancerre.

First developed in 1955. Said, when used on its own, to produce a Beaujolais-type red.

Parentage unknown, again came out of Geisenheim. Makes neutral wine and is used as a colouring red wine grape (“Dunkel” is German for ‘dark’)

Dates from 1859. Ripens early, perhaps two weeks before other vine varieties. Watch the wasps!

Relatively recent introduction into the UK (1984). Disease resistant and on its own is said to produce a white wine indistinguishable from Reisling

Dates from 1929! This seems to ripen late and not very well.

Dates from 1939, developed at the famous Geisenheim Vine Research Institute in what was West Germany. Heavy yields, high natural sugars, probably best in a blend.

Rondo - Red. (Bred from Amurensis or GM6494/50). The latter was found in Manchuria on the Chinese/Russian border in 1936. From there to Geisenheim (hence GM6494/50) where it was further developed. Due to the short summers and harsh winters where it was born, it has to ripen quickly or go under. Rondo is becoming one of the most popular red wine grapes in England.

Schönburger - White. Developed in Germany in 1939. Lovely grape this—although a white wine variety, as it ripens, the grape goes pink and will do as a table grape.

Seyval Blanc - White. First developed in 1921, planted in England by Edward Hyams in 1947. Standard variety in the early English vineyards. Disease resistant and crops well even in bad summers.