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Itasca Grape (Bundle of 2) | Spring 2027
$59.99
Reliable shipping
Flexible returns
Ripening
Will it finish before your first hard freeze?
Check it on the Ripening Map (opens in a new tab)
Disease resistanceResists 2 of 7
- 2 Anthracnose : Susceptible, 2 of 5
- 3 Black rot : Moderate, 3 of 5
- ? Botrytis bunch rot : Unknown, no published data yet
- ? Crown gall : Unknown, no published data yet
- 4 Downy mildew : Resistant, 4 of 5
- ? Phomopsis cane spot : Unknown, no published data yet
- 4 Powdery mildew : Resistant, 4 of 5
Scored 1 to 5. Higher resists better, and ? means no published data yet.
See it on our grape and kiwi disease chart (opens in a new tab)At a glance: Itasca Grape is a grape vine rated hardy to zone 3b in our ratings (winters to -35°F), self-fertile, so one plant can crop, and it ripens about Sep 22 to Oct 1 in Missoula (our Missoula estimate).
| Hardy to | Zone 3b to 8. The b means the warmer half of zone 3 only (winters to -35°F). Find your zone with our cold hardiness calculator. |
|---|---|
| Chill hours | About 550 hours (400 to 800). Our estimate. No published figure exists for this variety yet. Montana winters give it plenty. In milder climates, make sure your winters average at least this much. Check your chill hours or see our sources. |
| Pollination | Self-Fertile. Bloom group 3 of 7 (early-mid), late spring to early summer here. Itasca sets fruit on its own, so one variety is enough. Grapes bloom in June, well after tree fruit. Bloom group is our estimate from the variety's origin and relatives. Grape Pollination Chart. |
| Ripens | About Sep 22 to Oct 1 in Missoula (a Missoula estimate from published sources). Real years swing about a week either way. See the date for your town. |
| Good for | Wine (8/10). Scores are our own 1 to 10 ratings; 8 and up makes our Best Of lists. |
| Deer | A deer favorite. Fence it or cage it. |
| What you get | Bare root. Shipped or picked up in Missoula in spring, roots wrapped in moist sawdust. Guaranteed to bud out. |
Overview
The newest grape from the University of Minnesota’s breeding program, Itasca has proven itself to be one of the most cold-hardy grapes out there—even surpassing Frontenac and Marquette in terms of cold tolerance.
Aromatics & Winemaking Potential
With aromas of apple, pear, and violet and naturally lower acidity, this variety is especially well suited for dry white wines and sparkling wines. That said, some very nice off-dry wines have also been produced from Itasca, showing its versatility in the winery.
Early Ripening & Excellent Production
Itasca is a very productive grape that ripens early, reaching brix levels in the mid-20s and a moderate acidity around 10 g/L. It’s self-pollinating and suitable for most of Montana, and if you’ve got the right site, it could even be worth trying in Zone 3.
Resilient in Harsh Winters
If you regularly see temps below -30°F in the winter, it’s been our experience—and the experience of many others planting Itasca (and Marquette, among others)—that the tops may die back the first few winters, but the vines will consistently come up from the base the following spring.
This is totally fine because these vines are from rooted cuttings, not grafts, so what grows back will still be 100% Itasca. While it might set the grape back a bit at first, after a couple of years the vine typically becomes strong enough to withstand deeper frosts without dying back. But there likely will be a limit for the whole plant, which may be around -40F (although we're unsure of the precise number that extreme cold would kill the whole plant).
Plant Size
These are vines going on their second year with an established root system.
About the photo: this isn’t Itasca itself. Photos of Itasca are either under copyright or simply unavailable, so we picked the open-source image that looks closest to the fruit. Photo: “Reif werden die Trauben” by Christine Tögel, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Questions we get about Itasca Grape
Does Itasca Grape need a pollenizer?
No. Itasca Grape is self-fertile, so a single tree can set fruit. Itasca sets fruit on its own, so one variety is enough. Grapes bloom in June, well after tree fruit.
How cold hardy is Itasca Grape?
We rate Itasca Grape hardy to zone 3b, which means winters down to about -35°F. Our ratings come from real winters at our two Montana sites and from trusted growers across the North, not from a catalog average.
How many chill hours does Itasca Grape need?
About 550 hours of winter chill (we count hours at or below 45°F), likely somewhere between 400 and 800. Nobody has published a chill figure for it, so that's our estimate from its relatives and origin. Our chill hours guide has a calculator for your winters, and our research page lists the sources.
When does Itasca Grape ripen?
About Sep 22 to Oct 1 in Missoula, Montana (an estimate built from published sources and our climate). Warmer places run earlier and cooler places later; our ripening map converts the date to your town.
What is Itasca Grape good for?
Our top use scores for Itasca Grape are wine (8/10). Anything scored 8 or higher makes our Best Of lists.
Is Itasca Grape disease resistant?
For some diseases, yes. It's resistant to downy mildew and powdery mildew. It holds up moderately well against black rot. It's prone to anthracnose. Nobody has published solid data on it for botrytis bunch rot, crown gall and Phomopsis cane spot yet, so we list those as unknown. Our grape and kiwi disease resistance chart has every rating, the notes and the sources.
Will deer eat Itasca Grape?
Yes, deer love it. Protect Itasca Grape with a fence or a cage, especially while it is young.
What arrives, and when does Itasca Grape ship?
A dormant bare-root plant, roots wrapped in moist sawdust with a vapor barrier, shipped or picked up in Missoula in spring. We guarantee our plants bud out. Stone fruits can be slow, so if one still has not budded out by August 15, write to us and we credit you for the following spring.