Campbell Early mutation grape
The Campbell Early mutation grape (Vitis labrusca) is a fruit patented by Swiss emigrant Johann Andreas Wiederkehr, the original owner of Wiederkehr Wine Cellars and Vineyard on St. Mary's Mountain near Altus, Arkansas. An initiator of Arkansas wine culture, Wiederkehr has remained a top producer of fine wines for over a century. The Wiederkehr Winery is a US Bonded Winery, No. 8.
Wiederkehr began his wine-making in 1880. He chose Altus specifically for the surrounding area's climate and soil, as they resembled the grape growing climates and soils of Europe. Wiederkehr initially made his wines from wild fruits, including persimmons and blackberries, but soon planted a small vineyard and began experimenting with grape varieties. He developed and patented the Campbell Early mutation grape. Campbell Early grapes are black, grow in large clusters with big individual berries, and are considered sweet. The grapes are tolerant of drought, heat, and humidity. Campbell Early grapes are today more popular in Japan and Asia than in the United States. In South Korea, fully two-thirds of all grapes grown are of the Campbell Early variety.
