← All varieties

Red Wine

Apple

Red Wine

Origin / History

Red Wine is a Russian apple of the Lowland Raspberry type. It appears in the literature as early as 1881 (Webster, Montreal Horticultural Society Report) and was studied in Iowa and South Dakota experimental trials through the 1880s–1900s. Hansen notes that the variety bears the number 343 under the name Rother Weinapfel, which he takes to suggest possible German origin despite the Russian provenance recorded by all sources. Beach's references cite the same variety as No. 333, a discrepancy between the two bodies of literature. Beach notes that, as of 1905, the variety had not been tested in New York.

Tree

Not described in source.

Fruit

Size and Form: Medium. Roundish oblate, irregular in outline, with sides often bulging.

Skin: Surface polished. Ground color waxen white, almost wholly covered with bright red. Beach describes it as "waxen-white almost completely covered with bright red"; Hansen and Budd-Hansen describe it as "a beautiful fruit." Dots distinct, numerous, minute, white.

Stem: Medium.

Cavity: Regular, narrow, with stellate russet.

Calyx: Closed; segments connivent.

Basin: Shallow, narrow, wrinkled and corrugated.

Core / Seeds: Tube funnel-shaped. Stamens median.

Flesh and Flavor: Flesh snow white, tender, juicy, subacid. Quality rated good.

Season

August and September.

Uses

Not described in source.

Subtypes / Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Not described in source.

Book Sources

Described in 3 period pomological works

USDA Nomenclature (1905)

From W.H. Ragan, Nomenclature of the Apple, USDA Bulletin No. 56

Hansen considers it of German origin.

Nursery Catalog Sources

Found in 1 catalog (1900)

  • Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900
View original book sources (3)

RED WINE.

References. 1. Webster, Montreal Hort. Soc. Rpt., 7:54. 1881. 2. Gibb, Ib., 9:95. 1883. 3. Ib., Ia. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1883:439. 4. Budd, Ia. Agr. Coll. Bul., 1885:14. 5. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:248. 6. Taylor, Me. Pom. Soc. Rpt., 1892:57. 7. Hansen, S. D. Sta. Bul., 76:92. 1902. 8. Budd-Hansen, 1903:163.

Synonyms. No. 333 (2, 4, 7). Red Wine (4, 5, 6, 7, 8). Red Wine (1, 2, 3). Rother Weinapfel (7). Rotherwein appel (4). Vinnoe Krasnoe Osennee (4). Weinapfel Rother (2). Weinapfel Rother (3). Weinappel Rother (1).

A Russian apple of the Lowland Raspberry type (7, 8). Fruit medium, waxen-white almost completely covered with bright red. Flesh white, tender, subacid, good. Season August and September. So far as we know this variety has not been tested in New York.

S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)

Red Wine—From Russia; of Lowland Raspberry type—Fruit medium, roundish oblate, irregular, sides often bulging; surface polished, waxen white, almost wholly covered with bright red, a beautiful fruit; dots distinct, numerous, minute, white; cavity regular, narrow, with stellate russet; stem medium; basin shallow, narrow, wrinkled and corrugated; calyx closed, segments connivent. Tube funnel-shaped; stamens median; flesh snow white, tender, juicy, subacid, good. August, September. Red Wine is No. 343, Rother Weinapfel; this suggests German origin.

— N.E. Hansen, A Study of Northwestern Apples (1902)

Red Wine. — Origin, Russia. Of Lowland Raspberry type. Fruit medium, roundish oblate, irregular, sides often bulging; surface polished, waxen white, almost wholly covered with bright red, a beautiful fruit; dots distinct, numerous, minute, white; cavity regular, narrow, with stellate russet; stem medium; basin shallow, narrow, wrinkled, and corrugated; calyx closed; segments connivent; tube funnel-shaped; stamens median; flesh snow-white, tender, juicy, subacid, good. August, September.

— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)
Gov. list No. 343 Rother Weinapfel Rotherwein appel Vinnoe Krasnoe Osennee Weinapfel Rother Weinappel Rother