Golden Isles


Cultivar Information

Flower type = Self-fertile
Berry color = Pink/Bronze
Year introduced = 1967
Variety protection = Unpatented

History

'Golden isles' was released in 1987 by R. Lane of the University of Georgia. 'Golden Isles' was selected from the cross 'Fry' x Ga 19-6 ('Creek' x US 53-8b). 'Golden Isles' was selected as a juice grape to produce a less aromatic muscadine wine.


Comments

'Golden Isles' did not perform well in our test, and is not recommended for planting. It has a thin skin, juicy pulp, and a much less pronounced muscadine aroma. These traits make a good juice cultivar. However, 'Golden Isles' often sets a larger crop than its sparse canopy can mature. This leads to uneven ripening of the berries which is a real problem for harvesting a juice grape. Also, the berries have a thin skin that splits badly during picking. The berries are very susceptible to fruit rots, and are often invaded by green beetles that help to spread the rot. In short, 'Golden Isles' has an interesting flavor, but vine problems prevent its use in commercial vineyards.



 

Average Berry Quality in Tifton, GA Trials

Cultivar Berry weight (g) Berry diameter (mm) Soluble solids (%)
Golden Isles 12.7 27 15.3
Fry 12.7 27 15.3
Supreme 17.7 31 13.9

Cultivar Attributes in Tifton, GA Trials

Cultivar Vine vigor Leaf disease Berry rot % Full crop Harvest period Ripening % Dry scar
Golden Isles low moderate moderate 110% late very uneven 10%
Fry medium slight slight 70% midseason even 30%
Supreme medium slight none 90% midseason uneven 60%