Delaware (grape)
Encyclopedia
The Delaware grape is a cultivar
derived from the grape
species Vitis Labrusca
or 'Fox Grape' which is used for the table and wine production.
The skin of the Delaware grape when ripened is pale red almost pinkish in colour that has a tender skin and juicy sweet flesh. It has small fruit clusters with small berries that do not have the pronounced 'foxiness' of other Labrusca grapes. It is a slip-skin variety, meaning that the skin is easily separated from the fruit. The grapes are used to make wines including dry, sweet, icewine but is famed for spicy sparkling wines that do not have much of the objectionable foxiness character that other labrusca grapes contribute to their wines. The wine is light pink to white in colour.
It is a commercially viable grape vine which is grown in the North East and Mid West of America
and is vigorous when grafted onto a phylloxera resistant root stock. The Delaware grape is susceptible to downy mildew
and ripens earlier than Concord
.
The Delaware grape is also a table grape variety sold in supermarkets throughout Japan, where labrusca grape varieties are popular for their fragrance. Delaware Punch is named for the Delaware grape from which its flavor is derived.
, but was first brought to public notice by George Campbell, of Delaware, Ohio
in the 1850s. Although it is said to be an American variety its parentage is unknown and is thought to have a significant Vitis Vinifera
component in its background, possibly explaining the susceptibility to fungal diseases and the requirement for grafting onto phylloxera resistant rootstock
for best growth. T.V. Munson believed it to be a hybrid of labrusca, vinifera, and "bourquiniana", a class of vines now believed to be hybrids of Vitis aestivalis
.
Cultivar
A cultivar'Cultivar has two meanings as explained under Formal definition. When used in reference to a taxon, the word does not apply to an individual plant but to all those plants sharing the unique characteristics that define the cultivar. is a plant or group of plants selected for desirable...
derived from the grape
Grape
A grape is a non-climacteric fruit, specifically a berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or they can be used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, molasses and grape seed oil. Grapes are also...
species Vitis Labrusca
Vitis labrusca
Vitis labrusca is a species of grapevines belonging to the Vitis genus in the flowering plant family Vitaceae. The vines are native to the eastern United States and are the source of many grape cultivars, including Catawba and Concord grapes, and many hybrid grape varieties such as Agawam,...
or 'Fox Grape' which is used for the table and wine production.
The skin of the Delaware grape when ripened is pale red almost pinkish in colour that has a tender skin and juicy sweet flesh. It has small fruit clusters with small berries that do not have the pronounced 'foxiness' of other Labrusca grapes. It is a slip-skin variety, meaning that the skin is easily separated from the fruit. The grapes are used to make wines including dry, sweet, icewine but is famed for spicy sparkling wines that do not have much of the objectionable foxiness character that other labrusca grapes contribute to their wines. The wine is light pink to white in colour.
It is a commercially viable grape vine which is grown in the North East and Mid West of America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and is vigorous when grafted onto a phylloxera resistant root stock. The Delaware grape is susceptible to downy mildew
Downy mildew
Downy mildew refers to any of several types of oomycete microbes that are obligate parasites of plants. Downy mildews exclusively belong to Peronosporaceae. In commercial agriculture, they are a particular problem for growers of crucifers, grapes and vegetables that grow on vines...
and ripens earlier than Concord
Concord grape
Concord grapes are a cultivar derived from the grape species Vitis labrusca which are used as table grapes, wine grapes and juice grapes....
.
The Delaware grape is also a table grape variety sold in supermarkets throughout Japan, where labrusca grape varieties are popular for their fragrance. Delaware Punch is named for the Delaware grape from which its flavor is derived.
History
The Delaware grape was probably discovered in Frenchtown, New JerseyFrenchtown, New Jersey
Frenchtown is a Borough in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 1,373....
, but was first brought to public notice by George Campbell, of Delaware, Ohio
Delaware, Ohio
The City of Delaware is a city in and the county seat of Delaware County in the United States state of Ohio. Delaware was founded in 1808 and was incorporated in 1816. It is located near the center of Ohio, is about north of Columbus, and is part of the Columbus, Ohio Metropolitan Area...
in the 1850s. Although it is said to be an American variety its parentage is unknown and is thought to have a significant Vitis Vinifera
Vitis vinifera
Vitis vinifera is a species of Vitis, native to the Mediterranean region, central Europe, and southwestern Asia, from Morocco and Portugal north to southern Germany and east to northern Iran....
component in its background, possibly explaining the susceptibility to fungal diseases and the requirement for grafting onto phylloxera resistant rootstock
Rootstock
A rootstock is a plant, and sometimes just the stump, which already has an established, healthy root system, used for grafting a cutting or budding from another plant. The tree part being grafted onto the rootstock is usually called the scion...
for best growth. T.V. Munson believed it to be a hybrid of labrusca, vinifera, and "bourquiniana", a class of vines now believed to be hybrids of Vitis aestivalis
Vitis aestivalis
Vitis aestivalis is a species of grape native to eastern North America from southern Ontario east to Vermont, west to Oklahoma, and south to Florida and Texas. It is a vigorous vine, growing to 10 m or more high in trees...
.