Catawba

Catawba is an American Vitis labrusca type grape that was discovered by the Catawba river in North Carolina. The 180-day growing season in southern Missouri allows Catawba to ripen fully and avoid the high acid levels encountered in other eastern grape growing areas.

The pink berries of Catawba are large and the clusters are medium in size. It has the "foxy" labrusca character. The vines are hardy and vigorous with susceptibility to several fungal diseases including blackrot and downy mildew. Catawba ripens late, a couple of weeks after Concord.

Catawba is a pink grape that is processed as a white wine grape. It is not fermented on the skins so rice hulls are recommended for use in processing due to its "slip skin" characteristic. It makes a medium bodied, fruity, labrusca wine that is best made in a sweeter style. The wine is pink to orange in color.