Onaka (grape)

Last updated October 02, 2025

Onaka is one of a number of hardy hybrid grape cultivars produced by the prolific breeder Nels Hansen at South Dakota State University. It is a product of a cross of Beta (a hybrid of Vitis labrusca and Vitis riparia known for its cold hardiness) and Salem (a Vitis labrusca x Vitis vinifera hybrid).^[1] Although never widely cultivated and today largely forgotten, it has contributed to the cold-climate grape-breeding efforts of breeders such as Elmer Swenson, who suspected a nearby vine of Onaka to be a likely parent of his variety Kay Gray.^[2]

References

↑ Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI), Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Grapevine Breeding, Geilweilerhof ,Siebeldingen, Erika Maul, Reinhard Töpfer, Alina Ganesch. "ONAKA". www.vivc.de. Archived from the original on 2021-07-24. Retrieved 2025-10-01.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
↑ Smith, Bruce (11 November 2006). "History of the early Swenson Hybrids" (PDF).{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

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Notable hybrids	Agawam Alexander Aurore Baco blanc Baco noir Beta Black Spanish Blanc du Bois Breidecker Cabernet blanc Cabernet Cortis Cascade Cassady Catawba Cayuga White Chambourcin Chancellor Chardonel Chelois Clinton Concord Corot noir Couderc noir De Chaunac Edelweiss Flora Flot rouge Frontenac Goethe Herbert Hibernal Himrod seedless Ives noir Jaeger 70 Kay Gray Kyoho L'Acadie blanc La Crosse Lakemont seedless Landal noir Landot noir Léon Millot Malverina Marechal Foch Marechal Joffre Marquette Massasoit Melody Merzling Muscat bleu Niagara Noiret Norton Olmo grapes Onaka Orion Phoenix Plantet Ravat blanc Requa Rogers' Hybrids Rondo Royalty Seibel grapes Severny Seyval blanc Seyval noir Solaris St. Pepin Thomcord Traminette Triomphe d'Alsace Valvin muscat Vidal blanc Vignoles Villard grapes Zarya severa

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Grape cultivars	Alexander Agawam Beta Blanc du Bois Black Spanish Catawba Cayuga White Cassady Concord Chardonel Clinton Corot noir Delaware Edelweiss Frontenac Gamay Beaujolais Himrod Ives noir Jaeger 70 Kay Gray Lakemont La Crescent La Crosse Marquette Minnesota 78 Niagara Norton Noiret Olmo grapes Royalty Onaka Rogers' Hybrids Flora Goethe Herbert Massasoit Requa Scuppernong St. Vincent grape St. Pepin Traminette Thomcord Valvin muscat Vignoles Vidal blanc
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