DESCRIPTIVE PROFILING OF NEW AND COMMERCIAL BRITISH-COLUMBIA TABLE GRAPE CULTIVARS

Independent profiles were developed for the visual and flavor/texture characteristics of four commercial and eight new table grape cultivars from the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada breeding program (Summerlan d). Twelve judges evaluated 11 visual attributes, plus degree of likin g (visual), under natural light, and then evaluated 10 flavor/texture attributes, plus degree of liking (flavor/texture), under red light. V isual attributes were assessed for both clusters (color, color uniform ity, conformation, size, frequency of shot berries, stem thickness) an d berries (size, color uniformity, shape, skin markings). Flavor/textu re attributes included skin friability, skin thickness, initial juice release, seededness, flesh firmness, fruit flavor, labrusca flavor, sw eetness, sourness and bitterness/astringency. Data were analyzed by an alysis of variance and principal component analysis. Cultivars profile d included those with small round to large oblong berries. Visual char acteristics of cultivars ranged from clusters with a high degree of sh ouldering and/or tightly packed berries, to those with low shouldering and/or loosely-packed berries. Flavor/texture characteristics of cult ivars ranged from those with sweet fruity berries with high skin friab ility to berries with sour, bitter/astringent flavors with low skin fr iability (slip skin). Cultivars with the greatest degree of visual lik ing (highly correlated with berry and cluster size, shape, and color u niformity) included Festivee as well as Summerland Selections 494, 495 , 537, and 651. Those with greatest degree of flavor/texture liking (h ighly correlated to flesh firmness, skin friability, sweetness, and fr uity flavor) included Lakemont, plus Summerland Selections 535 and 651 . These analyses contributed to the knowledge required for naming and release of new cultivars from the breeding program.