Winesap is an old apple cultivar of unknown origin, dating at least to American colonial times. Its apples are sweet with a tangy finish. They are used for eating, cooking, and are especially prized for making cider.
albermarleciderworks.com Winesap "Winesap was first described as a cider fruit by Dr. James Mease in Philadelphia in 1804, and in 1817, William Coxe illustrated and described it in A View of the Cultivation of Fruit Trees. It was known during the colonial period in Virginia, and Coxe wrote of it as popular for cider making in New Jersey.... A dependable bearer, it produces heavy crops annually and is suitable for cooking, dessert and cider making."

History

Although the particular origin of the Winesap is not clear, authors note that it was known during the Colonial period and is thought to have come from New Jersey. The first mention appears to be by Willich and Mease in 1804. They called the apple wine-sop and it was said to have a "sweet, but not sprightly taste". Coxe described it and provided an illustration in his 1817 book, A View of the Cultivation of Fruit Trees. Coxe and other authors mention its use for cider. Winesap was a popular apple in the United States until the 1950s. It stores well, and its decline in popularity has been attributed to the development and increased use of controlled atmosphere storage which allowed a wider variety of apples to be sold over the course of the year.

Characteristics

The Winesap fruit is small to medium with a deep, cherry red skin and a crisp, yellow flesh. It has moderate disease resistance including to mildew and blooms a few days later than other late varieties. It is all-purpose, being used for fresh eating, cider, apple butter, and pies. It is similar to cultivars '

Arkansas Black The Arkansas Black is an apple cultivar that originated in the mid-19th Century in Benton County, Arkansas. It is not the same as the cultivar 'Arkansas' or 'Arkansas Black Twig'. Arkansas Black apples are generally medium-sized with a somewh ...

', 'Arkansas', and 'Paragon'. Other names for the Winesap include American Wine Sop, Banana, Hendrick's Sweet, Holland's Red Winter, Potpie, Pot Pie Apple, Red Sweet Wine Sop, Refugee, Royal Red of Kentucky, Texan Red, Winter Winesap. Many strains exist, of two types - striped or blushed. There are also many

sports Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, ...

of the Winesap apple. Seedlings include the '

Stayman Winesap A 'Stayman' (or 'Stayman Winesap') is a triploid apple cultivar developed in 1866 by Joseph Stayman of Leavenworth County, Kansas; it was sold by nurseries from 1895. 'Stayman' apples remain a locally popular cultivar of apples where grown. C ...

' and the Golden Winesap.

References

{{apples, state=collapsed Apple cultivars