La Crosse is a modern hybrid cultivar ofwinegrape, mostly grown inNorth America. It produces grapes suitable for makingfruity white wines similar toRiesling or as a base for blended wines. The grapes also make a good seeded table grape for eating. It has the benefits of early ripening and when hardened properly in the fall it is winter hardy to at least -25°F. As such it is best suited to growing in more northern climates and can be found grown in small regions ofOhio.
Lacrosse was produced and patented by American grape breederElmer Swenson around 1970. It is a hybrid ofSeyval crossed to a cross ofMinnesota 78 bySeibel 1000 (akaRosette). To clarify the parentage of Lacrosse:
Minnesota 78 is recorded as a cross ofBeta byWitt, however many have disputed this pedigree based its characteristics, and Elmer Swenson speculated that the pollen parent was likelyJessica, which was used in many crosses. Beta is a cross of a selection of the wild grapeVitis riparia,Carver, byConcord. Jessica is a cross of a selection ofVitis labrusca byVitis aestivalis. Seyval is a cross ofSeibel 5656 andSeibel S4986. Both these hybrids are a complex set of crosses of otherSeibel hybrids.
Spelling variants in use by wineries and vendors of the hybrid include La Crosse, LaCrosse and Lacrosse. The Lacrosse spelling is preferred by viticulturists. The registry the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations registry forLABELING AND ADVERTISING OF WINE[1], however, lists only "LaCrosse."
