The red grape variety (also Blue Bell, Minnesota 158) is an interspecific new variety between Beta x unknown variety. It contains genes from Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia and Vitis vinifera (?). The hybrid was crossed in 1923 in Minnesota (USA) by the breeder M. J. Dorsey. The extremely frost-hardy variety (down to minus 40 °Celsius) is cultivated in the northern states of the USA such as Iowa and in Canada and is used for the production of table gra pes and grape juice, but also as wine grape. No stocks were reported in 2016 (Kam Anderson).
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Dr. Christa Hanten
Fachjournalistin, Lektorin und Verkosterin, Wien