Grape - Prairie Star

Prairie Star produces medium-sized, pale whitish-green grapes in long, loose clusters. A high-quality table grape, each berry typically contains about two seeds. The flavor is well balanced between sweetness and acidity, often described with notes of honey and apple. It is excellent for fresh eating, juice, and winemaking, and typically ripens mid-season (late September).

The vine is very vigorous, cold hardy to about −38 °C, and moderately productive. It is self-fertile, though yields improve with a second variety nearby. Prairie Star shows good overall disease resistance but has moderate susceptibility to black rot and anthracnose. Like most grapes, bud break is relatively late in spring.

Developed in Wisconsin by Elmer Swenson in the 1980s, it was released after testing around 2000.

In colder areas (Zone 4a and below), some growers choose to lay pruned vines on the ground in fall so snow can insulate them over winter, although the variety is generally hardy without extra protection.