CALIFORNIA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION 
 
 SCARLET 
 
 A New Grape Variety for 
 Fresh Juice and Jellies 
 
 H. P. OLMO 
 
 MAY, 1948 
 
 
 THE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA • BERKELEY 
 

and abundance of fruitful buds indicate 
 that it will be more fruitful. Scarlet was 
 selected from a population of sixty plants, 
 and, as a seedling vine, it was the most 
 productive of all. It averaged 11.5 pounds 
 to the vine during the period 1940 to 1942 
 in plantings placed 2 feet apart in the 
 row, when the vines were pruned to only 
 three spurs of two buds each. In 1945 the 
 original vine was stubbed back to the 
 main trunk, and all the canes were re- 
 moved. Even with such severe pruning, 
 over 10 pounds of fruit were har- 
 vested. Many of the dormant buds proved 
 fruitful. 
 
 Tests indicate the juice 
 can be canned or frozen 
 
 Because the berry is small, the variety 
 cannot be used as a table grape. Scarlet 
 is introduced to serve both the market 
 and the home grower for a specific prod- 
 uct; namely, a fresh or processed pure 
 juice that can be produced in abundance 
 with a minimum of effort. The high sugar 
 and acidity make a well-balanced juice. 
 For example: 
 
 Balling Acidity 
 
 August 19, 1940 20.0 1.00 
 
 August 31, 1941 20.8 1.30 
 
 October 4, 1942 28.2 0.80 
 
 Semicommercial tests indicate the juice 
 can be canned or frozen. It might also be 
 used in the preparation of pure, spar- 
 kling, soda water beverages. Certain wine 
 
 producers have shown interest in the va- 
 riety for use in blending, because of its 
 high color, flavor, and acidity. 
 
 Scarlet sweetens rapidly and 
 needs some care in harvesting 
 
 Scarlet is very productive when spur 
 pruned in contrast to Concord, but it can 
 also be cane pruned and then will carry 
 much greater crops to maturity. The op- 
 timum stage of maturity at Davis is from 
 22 to 23 Balling for making the most pal- 
 atable fresh juice. The fruit on the vine 
 sweetens rapidly, which necessitates some 
 care in harvesting at the proper period. 
 The acidity can be increased by including 
 the small clusterlets (second crop) , which 
 ripen later and have high acid content. 
 
 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 
 
 I wish to thank my colleagues in the 
 Division of Viticulture for their helpful 
 observations and comments on this new 
 variety. Many grape growers, processors, 
 and vintners have also generously coop- 
 erated in testing it. Dr. George L. Marsh, 
 of the Division of Food Technology at 
 Berkeley, was instrumental in process- 
 ing and analyzing the juices of 46 selected 
 seedlings during the 1941 season, a group 
 from which Scarlet was finally selected. 
 Juice samples of Scarlet were processed 
 in 1947 by Messrs. S. F. and F. Triplett. 
 Pacific Grape Products Company in Mo- 
 desto. 
 
 Turn to back of bulletin for a detailed description of Scarlet 
 
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Scarlet is well adapted to the production of 
 fresh juice and jellies 
 
 • The grape-breeding program of the University of California was 
 begun in 1929 by the Division of Viticulture. Originating new 
 varieties better adapted to California conditions is one of the main 
 activities of this program. During the ten-year period 1931-1940. 
 a total of 23.658 seedling vines of controlled parentage were 
 planted in the vineyard for fruiting. From these, promising vines 
 are being selected for further tests in trial plots widely scattered 
 throughout California. In some instances, semicomtnercial trials 
 of the first selections have already been completed. SCARLET 
 is one of these. 
 
 •Cuttings of this variety are not offered for sale or distribution 
 by the University of California, but may be purchased from nursery- 
 men. If you want to know where they may be obtained, write to 
 the Division of Viticulture, California Agricultural Experiment 
 Station. Davis, California. 
 
 SCARLET 
 
 A New Grape Variety for Fresh Juice and Jellies 
 H. P. OLMO 
 
 Fresh grape ji u i for beverage use in 
 
 the home is becoming more and more 
 popular in California. It is used hoih b\ 
 
 itself and in fruit punche-. Alii ail i\ e red 
 
 juices are preferred in making jellies and 
 confections, and they are often added to 
 other preserved fond products to make 
 them more appealing. Recent studies of 
 llie natural planl pigments and llieii plar ■ 
 in nutrition suggest that the red coloring 
 matter of the grape (anthocyanins) ma) 
 also have important food values. 
 
 In addition, ihe \ine should be well 
 adapted for home gardens. This means 
 that it should be \ igorous enough to grow 
 on fence, trellis, or arbor. It should fruit 
 regularb and well without great attention 
 lo detailed pruning method* and -Imidd. 
 if possible, be somewhat resistant to pow- 
 der\ mildew. The fruit should hang a long 
 time on the vine without spoilage. 
 
 Of many new seedlings tested. Scarlet 
 best meets these requirements. 
 
 Scarlet is a hybrid of Colden Muscat x 
 Teinturier, station seedling 294E7. from 
 a cross made in 1935. The seed was 
 planted in the fall of 1935. and the vine 
 first fruited in 1939. The Golden Muscat 
 
 in the fresh juice industry. Like main 
 
 parent was introduced by the New York 
 
 other American-type hybrids it doe. not 
 
 State Agricultural Experiraenl Station in 
 
 grow and fruit satisfactory in the inte- 
 
 1927 and is a hybrid of Muscat Hamburg 
 
 rior valleys of California, where high 
 
 and Diamond. The Teinturier is ihe well- 
 
 summer temperatures and low humidih 
 
 known variety of the south of Franee. first 
 
 often cause the foliage to sunburn. The 
 
 used in 1829 by Louis and Henry Bou- 
 
 mature fruil i- of \n\ poor quality, ripen- 
 
 schet in the production of hybrid types 
 
 ing unevenly. Poor in flavor, the juice is 
 
 with colored juice ( teinturicrs) . The best 
 
 ofh'i] desrrihed a- "flat." The acidity is 
 
 known of this class is the Alicante Bou- 
 
 too low. The pigment becomes brownish 
 
 schet. 
 
 on processing, and the product is not par- 
 lii ularly atti a«li\ •-. Trial plantings have 
 
 Scarlet should prove to be 
 more fruitful than Concord 
 
 arc abandoned. 
 
 The name "Scarlet" was chosen because 
 
 The problem. I here fore, ua- to produce 
 
 of the bright red of the extracted juice 
 
 a grape variet) for juice with a Concord- 
 
 and the earlj fall coloring of the leaves, 
 
 type fla\nr thai could be widel) adapted 
 
 characteristics by which the variety may 
 
 to climatic conditions of California. Its 
 
 be readilj identified. 
 
 color should be bright, --table, and attrac- 
 
 Thi tered trial plantings of Scarlet 
 
 tive. Its chemical composition -hoiild be 
 
 have been too small to furnish reliable 
 
 -o balanced dial the pure juice could he 
 
 data on yield in comparison with such 
 
 used without correction. 
 
 varieties as Concord or Delaware. How- 
 ever, the re vigorous growth of the vine 
 
 hYcri\ril (u|- [Ml III li ,11 inn J;1IIIC)1\ J_\ I'UK. 
 
DESCRIPTION OF SCARLET 
 
 Vine: Vigorous, trunk slender, bark shed- 
 ding early as long, wide bands; bud- 
 ding out early. Many basal and dor- 
 mant buds fruitful, insuring a good 
 yield even if the early spring growth is 
 killed by frost. 
 
 Canes: Very long, numerous, slender, wil- 
 lowy, long internodes; maroon, with 
 few but very prominent darker stria- 
 tions, procumbent habit. Buds small, 
 conical, smooth in outline, scales tightly 
 appressed, almost glabrous; a small, 
 elongated, flattened lateral bud with 
 loose tomentum on tip is often found 
 alongside but not joined to the primary 
 bud. Tendrils long, bifid, slender, be- 
 coming very strong and woody, firmly 
 attached to supports; often bearing 
 clusters at three successive nodes, and 
 the more vigorous shoots branching 
 secondarily and producing many small 
 clusterlets (second crop) . 
 
 Leaves: Medium sized, 18.0x18.0 cm; 
 distinctly five lobed, outline regular; 
 upper surface very dark green; blade 
 flat but surface finely bullated, all 
 sinuses well marked and deep ; the up- 
 per lateral ones sometimes closed by 
 the overlapping leaf lobes, the lower 
 lateral ones with parallel sides wide 
 U shaped. Petiolar sinus open U, very 
 wide at the base, incised almost to lower 
 lateral veins. Veins on lower surface 
 very prominent, covered with numer- 
 ous, short, bristly hairs. Lower leaf 
 surface heavily hairy, never becoming 
 glabrous; grayish in aspect, tomentum 
 flocculating with age. Teeth very large, 
 obtuse, few in number, sharply pointed 
 
 at apices. Petiole distinctly hairy, slen- 
 der, reddish or maroon when exposed 
 to sunlight. Leaf fall late; autumnal 
 coloration commencing as patches of 
 scarlet and finally turning to a uni- 
 form blood red. 
 
 Floivers: Medium sized; calyptra dark 
 green, shedding readily and com- 
 pletely; filaments short, thick, oblique. 
 Pollen abundant and plant highly self- 
 fertile. 
 
 Fruit: Clusters medium small, 200 to 350 
 gm, compact to very compact, peduncle 
 short, lignified, very thick, tough. No 
 tendency toward parthenocarpic fruit 
 development. Berry pedicels very short, 
 thick, warty; adherence very good. 
 Berry ellipsoidal, often compressed in 
 the cluster; medium small, the larger 
 ones about 2.3 gm ; j et black, dull, mod- 
 erate waxy bloom. Skin thick, very re- 
 sistant to mechanical injury, heavily 
 pigmented, partly separating from the 
 pulp (slipskin) ; pulp soft, very juicy; 
 most of the berries with three seeds. 
 Very resistant to fruit rots and molds, 
 hanging on the vine and shriveling rap- 
 idly when overripe. Ripening in early 
 midseason, sugar content high, 22 to 25 
 per cent Balling; acidity remains high, 
 0.75 to 1.00 gm per 100 cc of juice, as 
 tartaric (at Davis, California). Juice 
 bright scarlet, more intense than Ali- 
 cante Bouschet, very stable, sediment 
 settling readily after extraction, not 
 oxidizing easily on exposure or when 
 processed for jellies or beverage use, 
 flavor of Concord, but less pronounced, 
 highly palatable. 
 
 15m-5,'48(A7967s) 
 
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