Photo by VIVC - Vitis International Variety Catalogue
Description
Perlette is one of the earliest seedless table grapes, bred by Harold Olmo at the University of California, Davis, from a 1936 cross of Queen of the Vineyards (Szőlőskertek királynője) and Sultanina (Thompson Seedless), and released in 1946. Its name means 'little pearl', after the round, translucent, pale green berries, which are crisp and pleasant to eat even at fairly low sugar levels. It ripens around mid-July in California's warm valleys, well ahead of Thompson Seedless.
Characteristics
White seedless table grape; round, translucent, crisp berries; very early ripening (about mid-July in California); very vigorous and very productive; bunches naturally very compact
Growing Tips
Perlette is very vigorous and very productive, and it is usually spur pruned on a cordon. Its big weakness is that bunches set far too tightly, so berries in the middle can split and rot; UC advisers recommend thinning flowers before bloom, removing part of each cluster, to loosen the bunches. Harvest promptly once the berries taste sweet, as it is palatable early and tight bunches do not hang well in wet weather.