Have you ever wondered about the different clones of a grape variety? Or are you looking for a nursery where you can purchase a specific grape variety?
I have just the place for you –
The National Grape Registry (NGR) was created in 2006 through funding from the Viticulture Consortium West and the American Vineyard Foundation as a comprehensive list of all available grape materials in the United States. The list contains information on wine, juice, table grapes, raisins, and rootstock varieties. FPS Staff Research Associate, Nancy Sweet, maintains the site.
There are a several ways to navigate through the NGR to find what you’re looking for. If you take a look at the main page (pictured below) you can see a list of possibilities – Commercial Nurseries, Public Grape Collections, Varieties, Vines in Progress, and Russell Ranch, as well as some general information links like About Us, People, and Glossary. Which link you choose depends on what type of information you are looking for.
Perhaps you’d like to see which commercial nurseries sell Cabernet Sauvignon. The Varieties link will take you to a list of all available grape material in alphabetical order. You can scroll down until you see Cabernet Sauvignon or you have the option to click the letter C, which will take you to the C part of the list. Once you select Cabernet Sauvignon, you’ll be taken to a page like the one below. You’ll see a list of synonyms, an option to view a clone list, the country (or countries) of origin, the berry color, and the uses for the variety. At the bottom of the page there is a list of nurseries where the variety is available. If the option is available, a link to learn more about the variety in the upper right corner will take you to the UC Integrated Viticulture page on that variety.
Or perhaps you are just curious what varieties are offered at a specific nursery. Or if there are any commercial nurseries near you that sell grape materials. The Commercial Nurseries link will take you to a list of commercial nurseries that have requested to be included on the website in alphabetical order. Not only is the name of the nursery listed, but you will also see the state where the nursery is located in parentheses after the name. And you also have the choice between scrolling down the page or selecting a letter to jump through the list. Each nursery link will take you to contact information for that particular nursery. Or, if you click on the state link, you’ll be taken to a list of all nurseries in that state.
The NGR is really a great tool for anyone looking for more information on grapes and where to purchase them for a new vineyard endeavor.