Table Grapes for Your Garden

Five varieties from early seedless types to the late, muscat-flavoured ‘Italia’

Table grapes are among the most rewarding fruits you can grow on a pergola, trellis or fence. In this overview we compare five proven varieties – from the early Hungarian ‘Lilla’ and ‘Éva’ with their barely noticeable seeds, through the seedless ‘Kishmish Moldavskij’ and ‘Danuta’ with their huge clusters, to the world-famous late ‘Italia’ with its muscat aroma. Each has its own strengths – whether storage life, cluster size, or resistance to rot.

5
varieties compared
up to 2 kg
largest cluster (‘Éva’)
180 days
storage life (‘Kishmish’)
15–27 t/ha
yield (‘Kishmish’)

The five varieties at a glance

‘Kishmish Moldavskij’ · Moldova · seedless
A classic seedless variety with light-violet clusters (around 600 g on average) and crisp, fleshy pulp. Its greatest asset is an exceptionally long storage life – in cold storage it keeps until spring. It is heat-loving (requiring around 2800 °C of accumulated heat) and needs winter protection in marginal regions. It is not resistant to downy mildew.
‘Lilla’ · Hungary · early white
An early white variety (ripening from mid-August) with crisp, juicy berries and a thin, imperceptible skin. The seeds are very small and barely noticeable, which makes it suitable for making home-made raisins. The foliage is open and forms few laterals, so the vines are easy to manage. Cold hardiness down to −19 °C.
‘Danuta’ · France · seedless
A French seedless variety with huge clusters (600 g on average, exceptionally up to 1000 g) and firm, crisp pulp with a subtle nutty-almond aroma. Its vigorous growth makes it ideal for pergolas and trellises. It is little prone to grey mould, but in rainy weather during ripening the berries tend to crack.
‘Éva’ · Hungary · early white
An early white variety with potentially huge clusters (400–420 g on average, up to 2 kg with good care). The pulp is firm, crisp and very sweet, the seeds barely noticeable. Its standout trait is high resistance to rot and to wasps. It is undemanding as to soil and moisture and copes well with drought.
‘Italia’ · Italy · late, with seeds
A world-famous late variety with huge, visually attractive clusters (800 g on average) and large, seeded berries. The flavour is sweet with a pleasant muscat aroma. It is very productive, with excellent storage and transport qualities. It needs full sun and protection against grey mould; in cooler regions it may fail to ripen fully.

Variety comparison

Variety Origin Cluster Seeds Ripening Cold hardiness Storage life
‘Kishmish Moldavskij’ Moldova ~600 g seedless mid to late moderate excellent (up to 180 days)
‘Lilla’ Hungary ~334 g barely noticeable early (from mid-Aug) good (−19 °C) a few days when chilled
‘Danuta’ France ~600 g (up to 1000 g) seedless mid-early down to −20 °C good (transport)
‘Éva’ Hungary ~400–420 g (up to 2 kg) very small mid-early (mid-Aug) good good (firm skin)
‘Italia’ Italy ~800 g seeded late (September) −20 to −30 °C very good

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Scales and comparisons

Cluster size is one of the most visible differences between varieties. The scale below compares average cluster weight; bear in mind that ‘Danuta’ can exceptionally reach 1000 g and ‘Éva’, with top-level care, even up to 2 kg.

Average cluster weight · relative to a 0 – 1000 g range
‘Italia’ ~800 g
 
‘Kishmish Moldavskij’ ~600 g
 
‘Danuta’ ~600 g
 
‘Éva’ ~410 g
 
‘Lilla’ ~334 g
 

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For varieties intended for rainier regions, the tendency of the berries to crack after rainfall also matters. The scale below indicatively shows the position of ‘Danuta’, which is more prone to cracking during ripening.

Risk of berry cracking after rain – ‘Danuta’ prone
 
No cracking (resistant) High risk (prone)

The rating is indicative and based on the variety description. Even watering and a position sheltered from heavy rain help prevent cracking.

Grower’s tip

Vigorous varieties such as ‘Italia’ and ‘Danuta’ make the best use of space on a pergola or trellis, where they can fully express their strong growth and large clusters. They require long pruning and careful tying-in of the shoots. With very productive varieties (‘Italia’) it pays to thin the clusters – this gives you larger, more uniform berries.

Note

Most table varieties are not fully resistant to fungal diseases. ‘Kishmish Moldavskij’ is not resistant to downy mildew and ‘Italia’ is sensitive to grey mould – expect to spray regularly. In addition, the late ‘Italia’ may fail to ripen fully in cooler regions, so plant it in a warm, sheltered spot.

Ripening through the season

Early (from mid-August): ‘Lilla’, ‘Éva’
Mid to mid-late (late August – September): ‘Danuta’, ‘Kishmish Moldavskij’
Late (September): ‘Italia’
Good table grapes must please the eye as much as the palate – a large, well-shaped cluster and a crisp, sweet berry are the reward for patience with pruning and crop protection.

If you are looking for early grapes to eat fresh, reach for the Hungarian varieties ‘Lilla’ or ‘Éva’. For lovers of seedless grapes, ‘Kishmish Moldavskij’ (with record storage life) and ‘Danuta’ (with huge clusters) are ideal. And if seeds do not bother you and you want a late, muscat-flavoured variety for a pergola, ‘Italia’ is the clear choice.

Table grapes in our range

From seedless varieties with huge clusters to early, crisp garden grapes – choose healthy, well-rooted grapevine plants and grow your own harvest on a pergola or trellis.

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