'Horizon' fulfills the need in the
Northeastern United States for a winter hardy grape
relatively free of cultural and enological defects.
It is a sister seedling of 'Cayuga White', the
first grape to be named at Geneva solely for wine use
following the release of 42 table grape cultivars. The
new grape resulted from the cross 'Seyval' x 'Schuyler' which was made in 1945; the fruit was first described in
1951.
It was first tested as NY 33472 and subsequently as
GW7. Own-rooted vines were first planted in 1955 and
vines grafted on Couderc 3309 rootstock have been under
test since 1966. 'Horizon' has been available for testing
from the New York State Fruit Testing Cooperative
Association, Inc. since 1970.
Vines of 'Horizon' are vigorous. Own-rooted vines and
vines grafted on C. 3309 grown in phylloxera (Phylloxera
vastatrix Planchon) infested soils have maintained annual
pruning weights in excess of 2.5 and 4 pounds, respectively.
It is, therefore, not necessary to graft 'Horizon' to a
phylloxera-resistant rootstock, but improved vine size can
be expected from grafted vines.
The vines are winter cold
hardy at Geneva, New York. Significant bud injury is rare;
moderate to severe primary bud kill occurred following a
temperature of -20 F in the winter of 1967-1968 at Geneva,
but the vines were fully productive again in 1969. A low
temperature of -10 F on Dec. 25, 1980 and subsequent
winter temperature fluctuations caused only 10-20 per
cent kill of primary buds. No trunk injury has been recorded.
'Horizon' is slightly less resistant to powdery mildew than is 'Concord'. A spray program
sufficient to control powdery mildew and downy mildew
on 'Concord' is usually
adequate for control on 'Horizon'. Sulfur may be used as
recommended for disease control; very slight amounts of
sulfur injury have been recorded following spray
applications.
The fruit are moderately susceptible to cracking
and rot at harvest time.
'Horizon' (own-rooted) has had the fourth highest yield of
fruit among 25 white wine selections, based on 3 years of
data (1979-1981), in a yield trial run cooperatively with the
Taylor Wine Company (Hammondsport, NY) and located at
Dresden, NY.
The mean yield for 3 years has been 5.9
tons/acre. ('Cayuga
White' averaged 4.8 tons/acre.) All yields
were limited by potassium deficiency in 1979 and 1980; actual
yields will depend upon local conditions.
'Horizon'
ripens about midseason, between September 20 and 30 at
Geneva. The soluble solids and titratable acidity have
averaged 17.8 ° Brix (during 18 years) and 6.9 grams per
liter (during 9 years), respectively.
Wine was first made in
1955 and has received favorable ratings. Wine is fruity with good body and
balance. Most samples have been free of the American
flavors of cultivars of Vitis labrusca L. and also free of
flavors found in wines from many French-American hybrids
(e.g. green or herbaceous flavors).
Flowers are perfect with upright stamens and bloom is
midseason. Fruit clusters are medium-sized, moderately
compact, and cylindrical in shape, borne two clusters per
shoot. Berries are medium-sized, spherical, and light
green. |