Grapevine of the month: Rondo

Have you heard of Rondo?  Possibly not. It is a cool climate variety that is doing well in the north of England.

Rondo is a black skinned grape variety that produces red wines, with these wines having flavours of cranberries, cherry, raspberry, pink grapefruit, rhubarb, dark cherries and damsons.  

It is sold as both a single varietal wine or blend where it is used to add volume and diverse fruit flavours. At the 2024 WineGB awards, 8 wines were given silver and bronze medals for Rondo or Rondo blends showing that the variety, with the right handling, can produce great tasting wines. 

Rondo is a hybrid grape variety which was created in 1964 in Czechoslovakia and fine tuned in Germany over the following years.  It is a grapevine that buds early in the budding season and is harvested early in the harvest season, although can be picked in the middle of the harvest to round out the flavours. It produces large bunches and a good yield consistently once established.  It is a PIWI variety and has some frost resistance and disease resistant to downy mildew, making it idea for cool climate wine production.

If you're thinking of red wine production then Rondo should be part of your mix.  The Vinehouse will be happy to help.