Beta is a winter-hardy variety of
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
n
grape derived from a cross of the ''
Vitis labrusca''-based cultivar
Concord and a selection of ''
Vitis riparia'', the wild riverbank grape, called
Carver.
It is an extremely cold-hardy grape that is self-fertile. This variety is grown successfully in
Finland and was widely planted in
Minnesota in the early 20th century. It ripens in late September in
New York State. It bears dark, blue-black fruit that is used for
jellies,
fruit juice
Juice is a drink made from the extraction or pressing of the natural liquid contained in fruit and vegetables. It can also refer to liquids that are flavored with concentrate or other biological food sources, such as meat or seafood, such as ...
s, etc. but rarely for
wine.
History
Beta was released by
Louis Suelter Louis may refer to:
* Louis (coin)
* Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name
* Louis (surname)
* Louis (singer), Serbian singer
* HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy
See also
Derived or associated terms
* Lewis ( ...
, and named for his wife. Because of this, the proper pronunciation is actually "Bett-uh", but the name is more commonly assumed to follow the pronunciation
of the Greek letter. Suelter released a number of other cultivars from the same cross, including the equally hardy Suelter grape.
References
{{Hybrid grape varieties
Table grape varieties
Hybrid grape varieties