>after years of nonsense of having way too many varieties<
Are you kidding? When it got to the point where I would have had to bid on Rhode Island to have enough room to grow all my varieties I knew it was time to start developing some focus.
When I tightened my viewpoint it was to grow only Kentucky varieites. Then, when I co-founded the Appalachian Heirloom Seed Conservancy, I broadened back out, slightly, to include any family heirloom from the southern hills.
The problem is, I don't know which of those will be happy where you are. Sometimes (often) it doesn't matter, and a variety adapts to its new surroundings in only a season or two. Other times it never does. Typical is Brandywine, and it's reluctance to grow well in the deep south.
The French variety, btw, is Noir De Crimee, which should translate as Black Krim. But, in fact, they are two different tomatoes. And, while I hate to say it, the French one is the better of the two.
I'm like you. I want a tomato with a rich, complex flavor and a little tartness. By and large I prefer pinks for that reason, as they tend in that direction, just as yellows tend towards the sweet side. But there are exceptions to every rule and I've had some fairly acidic tasting yellows, and one pink that could have been made of sugar. Ugh!
Let me go through my "library" (did you know that that word applies to more than just book collections? I know a place, for instance, that has what is supposedly "the world's largest library of old mill stones." But I digress) and see if I still have seed for Brandt's Old German Pink. That's a variety that was brought here in 1931 from Germany, by a Mr. Brandt. My contact got it from his son, who doesn't garden, and shared it with me. Until I started promoting it, several years back, Vernon and I were the only people growing it.
Vernon is from the Chicago area, and I imagine if it grows well there it will do ok for you. And it's a really great tomato. If I can find seed for it I'll send you some.  |