Rondo (grape)

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title: "Rondo (grape)" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["hybrid-grape-varieties"] description: "Variety of grape" topic_path: "general/hybrid-grape-varieties" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rondo_(grape)" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Variety of grape ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox grape variety"]

Field	Value
name	Rondo
image	Rondo-07-1.JPG
caption	Rondo grapes
color	Noir
species	Officially Vitis vinifera but also has other species in its pedigree
also_called	Geisenheim 6494-5 (Gm 6494-5)
origin	Czechoslovakia
pedigree0	Zarya Severa × St. Laurent
breeder	Helmut Becker
institute	Forschungsanstalt Geisenheim, Fachgebiet Rebenzüchtung und Rebenveredlung
crossing_year	1964
hazards
regions	Denmark, England, Ireland, Netherlands
::

| name = Rondo | image = Rondo-07-1.JPG | caption = Rondo grapes | color = Noir | species = Officially Vitis vinifera but also has other species in its pedigree | also_called = Geisenheim 6494-5 (Gm 6494-5) | origin = Czechoslovakia | pedigree0 = Zarya Severa × St. Laurent | breeder = Helmut Becker | institute = Forschungsanstalt Geisenheim, Fachgebiet Rebenzüchtung und Rebenveredlung | crossing_year = 1964 | hazards = | regions = Denmark, England, Ireland, Netherlands | notable_wines =

Rondo is a dark-skinned grape variety, used for making red wine. It is a hybrid grape or inter-specific crossing. It was created in 1964 by Professor Vilém Kraus in then-Czechoslovakia by crossing the varieties Zarya Severa (a hybrid which has Vitis amurensis in its pedigree) and St. Laurent. He offered it to Dr. Helmut Becker (1927-1990) of the Geisenheim Grape Breeding Institute who conducted further work on it, which explains why the grape is known under a Geisenheim designation. The variety was first planted for research and later in bigger scale in the mid 1980s by Thomas Walk Vineyard in Ireland under the name Amurensis Walk; it was named Rondo in 1997 (German Federal Office's Varieties Register).

This very early maturing variety possesses high resistance against winter frost and downy mildew from its Asiatic Vitis amurensis parent. However annual treatments against powdery mildew may still be necessary in the vineyards. Rondo produces a ruby-red wine which is also used for blending. Rondo is cultivated in many locations in northern Europe where dark-skinned Vitis vinifera varieties are difficult to ripen properly, as it tends to yield good colour and aroma even in those locations. Rondo is cultivated in Rheinhessen and in many locations in northern Europe including Denmark, England, Ireland, Wales, the Netherlands, Poland and Sweden.

In 2011 the British winery Denbies picked up a gold prize in the International Wine Challenge for their 2010 vintage Chalk Ridge Rose, a wine made entirely from Rondo grapes.

Synonym

Geisenheim 6494-5 (Gm 6494-5).

References

References

1. "Thomas Walk Vineyard - the unique Irish Vinery!".
2. [http://www.winegrowers.info/varieties/Vine_varieties/Rondo.htm Winegrowers.info: Vine variety: Rondo] {{Webarchive. link. (2019-04-23 , accessed on March 25, 2008)
3. [http://englishwineproducers.com/grapes.htm English Wine Producers: The Main Grape Varieties Growing In The UK] {{webarchive. link. (2008-02-26 , accessed on March 25, 2008)
4. [https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/news/ch226teau-dorking-how-a-vineyard-in-surrey-created-the-worlds-best-ros233-2285575.html Château Dorking: how a vineyard in Surrey created the world's best rosé], accessed on July 23, 2011
5. "Rondo". [[Vitis International Variety Catalogue]].

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