I got Saint Theresa grapes a couple of years ago because they were said to be able to tolerate alkaline soils. They survived their first winter and did produce some really sweet grapes for me last year. Hopefully they will do even better this year. I use a leaf or two when I am making dill pickles. It is said they help the pickles retain their color.I’m back talking about the whole shady vine thing... I’d like to try the grapevines, but the fence I would want to plant them on is WAY too close to our septic drain field. Look at these stats on the roots.
About 60 percent of grapevine roots sit in the top 24 inches of soil, but many of the plant roots grow much deeper. Grape roots can grow more 20 feet deep. You can dig down into the soil while grapevines are dormant to check the vigor of the roots and the quality of the soil, notes Australian Cooperative Research Centre for Viticulture.
Grapevine roots are generally less dense and spread out than many other plants, but they can still spread a great distance from the main vine trunk. University of California, Davis, Department of Viticulture & Enology notes some studies suggest that the roots can spread as far as 33 feet. Most of the root density is closer to the trunk, but a significant amount is sometimes more than three feet away from the trunk. About 15 percent of root biomass is 47 to 59 inches from the trunk.
Very important to keep your underground (pipes, foundations, septic tank...) stuff in mind with any planting. Also, wild grapes attract wild birds if they fruit (which they probably wouldn’t do here, but still...). Wild birds are nice, but maybe not around domestic birds not resistant to the same diseases. All the same I think I’ll try to find a good spot to plant some. I like them... even if they never set fruit here I could pickle the leaves, maybe.
I always kind of wanted to try them, and I enjoy fermenting things. They’re sold in niche grocers like Trader Joe’s. 
