Monday, April 27, 2026

Grape Spotlight: The Stover Grape

"The Stover grape is a hybrid cultivar developed by the University of Florida’s breeding program. It is a yellow/bronze small grape. The flavor is mild and free from excessive sweetness or tartness. Clusters are medium size and the sugar content is 17-18% with a mild taste. ‘Stover’ is a golden-fruited, long-lived variety with improved dessert and holding qualities. The fruit ripens in July and August." - Fiorelli Winery

Specifically, the Stover grape cultivar was developed at the Leesburg Agricultural Research Center and is named in honor of Loren Stover (1898–1993), Florida’s "Mr. Grape". Stover was a pioneering horticulturist who developed this variety in 1956 to be resistant to Pierce’s disease and other fungal issues prevalent in Florida’s humid climate. he cultivar is a cross between Mantey and Seyve‑Villard 12‑309. Mantey is a self‑fertile seedling of unknown parentage, but derived primarily from Vitis coriacea Shuttleworthii and contributes disease resistance, heat tolerance, and adaptation to the southeastern U.S. Seyve‑Villard 12‑309 or Roucaneuf (developed by breeder Bertille Seyve at the Seyve‑Villard program in France) is complex French hybrid with ancestry rooted in V. vinifera and V. rupestris and contributes fruit quality, cluster structure, and improved table‑grape characteristics.

Fiorelli Winery & Vineyard, located just outside Bradenton Florida, grows Stover and uses the grape in several of their white blends. The winery was founded in 1998 by Antonio and Rosa Fiorelli, Sicilian immigrants from Casteldaccia.  Antonio began cultivating the estate with fruit bearing trees and a few grape vines and soon the operation expanded to 7.5 acres of vines and a full estate operation with dedicated production and tasting facilities. The grapes consist of several Florida‑adapted muscadine varieties -- including Noble, Carlos, and other bronze and black muscadines -- along with bunch‑grape hybrids such as Blanc du Bois and Conquistador. Their portfolio includes dry to semi‑sweet table wines, muscadine‑based reds and blushes, and fruit wines made from blueberry, strawberry, peach, and apple. 

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