Purple/Black Grapes
Concord is the standard for grape juice, jams, and jellies. It is a tough-skinned, flavorful, and highly aromatic, all-purpose grape. Although it is considered a table grape, it does have harder and larger seeds than grapes you may be accustomed to in the grocery store. This grape is rated for zone 4, but has higher success in zone 5 and above.
---------Concord Seedless is a sport of Concord with clusters and berries smaller than Concord while offering a vine with more cold hardiness than its parentage. Fruit matures earlier than Concord with negligible seed traces and good flavor that is perfect for pies and preserves. Reliably hardy down to zone 4.
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Isabella is considerably one of the most, if not the most, adaptable table grape in the world. It offers a hardiness range from zone 5 all the way to zone 13. It was mainly planted in the early 1800s as a substitute for Catawba, where the latter could not reliably ripen. It makes an acceptable wine, delightful jam, and can be eaten fresh as a table grape. It does have an unfortunate proclivity for a bunch to not ripen in unison. However, that does provide a grower with a prime prospect for verjuice (aka verjus), which is made from unripe grapes and can be used as an alternative to vinegar or lemon juice. Harvesting the grapes before veraison (ripening stage from green to reddish purple) offers the highest amount of acidity. The ripened grapes can be eaten while the green ones are used for verjus. Conversely, this grape is great for the gardener that likes to snack on fruit as they garden and will provide that opportunity over several weeks.---------
Valiant is extremely winter hardy and produces small, compact clusters of small berries that ripen reliably. Fruits have a delicious tangy flavor similiar to Concord and can be eaten fresh or used to make jam, jelly, or wine. Grapes are seeded, but don’t let that deter you since this remains the only table grape hardy to zone 3. Harvest in early September.
Red Grapes
Catawba was the most popular grape cultivated in the US prior to the introduction of Concord, and was the major variety used for wine production in Ohio prior to Prohibition. Catawba is a spicy-flavored, red slipskin grape. Clusters are medium to large and well formed; fruit is medium-sized, round and purplish red with a distinctive flavor. Hardy down to zone 5.
---------Swenson Red produces medium to large conical clusters with large, round, non-slipskin berries with firm flesh and small seeds. It offers hints of strawberry with its sweetness and only small seed traces are present. Cold hardy to zone 4.
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Vanessa produces medium-sized clusters of bright deep red berries with moderate bloom, firm flesh, and crisp texture. Flavor is mildly aromatic but not of Labrusca type and is considered among the best of red seedless grapes. Hardy to zone 5.
Yellow/Green Grapes
Himrod produces a delicious grape, one of the finest of the seedless varieties. The clusters are large but rather loose; berries are medium size, oval, golden amber and sweet. Grapes are not particular about soil preference and do especially well in clays and loams that have been improved with organic matter. Hardy to zone 5. Harvest in late August.