A Complete List of Common Grape Varieties in China and Their Ripening Times

Grapes are woody climbing plants and one of the oldest fruit tree species in the world. The fruit is generally spherical or oval, and the ripening time varies depending on the variety and the growing region. So, what are the common grape varieties in China? When do they ripen?

1. What are the common grape varieties in China?

China has many grape varieties. Common varieties include Summer Black grape, Kyoho grape, Hutai grape, White Milk grape, Early Rose grape, Fujiminori grape, Ruby grape, Beauty's Finger grape, Giant Rose grape, Late Red grape, Drunken Gold Fragrance grape, Red Globe grape, Green Globe grape, Longan grape, Jingya grape, and more.

2. When do grapes ripen?

Grapes are a late-summer to early-autumn fruit. Due to differences in variety and growing region, their ripening times vary. They are generally divided into three groups: early-ripening, mid-to-late-ripening, and late-ripening. In southern regions they usually ripen in June-July, in Xinjiang they usually ripen in August-September, and in most other regions they ripen in August-October. A few grape varieties ripen earlier. Below is an introduction to the ripening times of the grape varieties mentioned above.

1. Summer Black grape: an early-ripening variety; in Quanshan, Yunnan, it ripens as early as March. The berries are small, nearly round, with purple-black skin and purple-red juice; the skin is thick and crisp, clings tightly to the flesh, and has a thick bloom; the flesh is firm and crisp, with no flesh sac; high in sugar and low in acid, with a fairly strong strawberry aroma; seedless.

2. Early Rose grape: an early-ripening variety; in the Dazeshan area of Shandong it ripens at the end of June (ripening in early May under greenhouse cultivation). The berries are medium-large and nearly round, with rose-red to purple-red skin; the skin is thin, the flesh is relatively soft, the sugar content is 14%-15.4%, and the acid content is 0.91%. The flavor is sweet and tart, with a rich rose aroma.

3. Hutai grape: a mid-to-late-ripening variety that can bear 3 crops. The first crop ripens in mid-July, the second crop in mid-August, and the third crop in early-to-mid September. The berries are large and nearly round, with purple-black skin and purple-red juice; the skin is medium-thick and separates easily from the flesh, and has a thick bloom; the flesh is fine and crisp, with no flesh sac; the sugar content is above 17-21%, and the acid content is 0.5%. It is sweet and tart and pleasant to eat, with 1-2 seeds.

4. Kyoho grape: a mid-ripening variety; it ripens as early as late July to early August. The berries are large and nearly round, with purple-black skin and purple-red juice; the skin is thick and separates easily from the flesh, and has abundant bloom; the flesh is relatively soft and juicy, with a flesh sac; the sugar content is 16%. The flavor is sweet and tart, with a strawberry aroma; more than 95% are seedless.

5. Fujiminori grape: a mid-ripening variety that ripens slightly earlier than Kyoho. It is generally grown deep in the Yimeng Mountain area. The berries are extra-large, brightly colored, and plump, with abundant juice, a sweet taste, and good shipping tolerance.

6. Giant Rose grape: a mid-ripening variety; in Tong'an District, Xiamen, it ripens from late July to early August. The berries are large and oval, with bright red to purple-red skin; the skin separates easily from the flesh and has a medium-thick bloom; the flesh is relatively soft, with no flesh sac, and moderately juicy; the total acid content is 0.43%. The fruit is crisp and sweet, with a distinctive rose aroma, and has 1-3 seeds.

7. Jingya grape: a mid-ripening variety; in Zhejiang it ripens in early July, in Yixia Village, Yongnian County, Hebei, in late June, in Beijing in early August, and in Shenyang in late August. The berries are large and oval, with purple-black or blue-black skin; the skin is medium-thick and has a thick bloom; the flesh is relatively soft and juicy; the acid content is 0.65%-0.9%. The flavor is sweet and tart, with a slight strawberry aroma.

8. White Milk grape: a mid-to-late-ripening variety; in the Huailai area of Hebei it ripens in late September. The berries are large and oblong, with yellow-green skin; the skin is thin, and the flesh is crisp and juicy; the sugar content is about 15%, and the acid content is 0.5%. It tastes sweet and fragrant, with 1-3 seeds.

9. Beauty's Finger grape: a late-ripening variety; it ripens in late August in East China and in mid-to-late September in North China. The berries are large and slender, with bright red tips and yellow-green bases; the skin is thin yet tough and does not separate easily from the flesh, and has a relatively thin bloom; the flesh is light red, firm and crisp, and semi-translucent; the total sugar content is above 15.0%, the sugar-to-acid ratio is above 35, and the acid content is extremely low. It tastes sweet, refreshing, and crisp, with no aroma, and has strong storage tolerance.

10. Drunken Gold Fragrance grape: a late-ripening variety; in the Shenyang area of Liaoning it ripens in early September. The berries are extra-large and obovate, with golden-yellow skin; the skin is medium-thick and separates easily from the flesh, and has a moderate bloom; the juice is abundant, with no flesh sac; the sugar content is 16.8%, and the acid content is 0.61%. It has a strong aroma and contains seeds.

11. Ruby grape: a late-ripening variety; in North China it ripens in mid-to-late September. The berries are relatively large and oval, with bright red-purple skin; the skin is thin, and the flesh is crisp; the acid content is 0.6%. It tastes sweet and refreshing, and is seedless.

12. Late Red grape: a late-ripening variety; it generally ripens in late September. The berries are relatively large and oval, dark red, with thick, firm, crisp flesh; the sugar content is above 17%. It tastes sweet with a strong aroma.

13. Red Globe grape: a late-ripening variety; in the Xingcheng area of Liaoning it ripens from the end of September to early October. The berries are large and round or oval, with dark red skin; the skin is medium-thick, and the flesh is firm and crisp. It tastes sweet and pleasant.

14. Green Globe grape: a late-ripening variety; in the Hami area it ripens from mid-to-late August to early September. The berries are large and long-oval, with yellow-green skin; the skin is thin, and the flesh is thick, firm, and crisp; the skin does not separate easily; the sugar content is 13%-28%, and the acid content is 0.83%. It tastes richly sweet, with a slight rose aroma, and is seedless.

15. Longan grape: a late-ripening variety; in Pingdu, Shandong, it ripens from late September to early October. The berries are large and nearly round, with purple-red or deep rose-red skin; the skin is medium-thick and has a thick bloom; the flesh is juicy and translucent; the sugar content is 15-18%, and the acid content is about 0.9%. It tastes sweet and tart.

3. Are grapes cooling or warming?

Grapes are neither cooling nor warming; they are a neutral-natured fruit, and they are also an alkaline fruit. They can be eaten raw or made into raisins, grape juice, wine, and so on. They have effects such as replenishing qi and blood, benefiting the liver and kidneys, promoting body fluids, strengthening bones and muscles, relieving cough and irritability, tonifying qi and blood, and promoting urination. However, they should not be eaten together with fish, shrimp, crab, sea cucumber, jellyfish, seaweed, milk, ginseng, kelp, nori, banana, almond, radish, camel meat, turtle, and so on, and people with diabetes, diarrhea patients, and those with deficiency-cold of the spleen and stomach should not eat them.