Grape Vine Isabella

A great variety if you are looking to make juice, wine or eating.

The grapes are large dark purple skinned with a green/yellow flesh when ripe, they have 'slip skins' which means the skins separate easily.

The grapes are usually used to make wine, namely 'Uhudler' and 'Fragolino' (a sparkling red dessert wine). Wines produced with this variety have strawberry flavours (as well as, sometimes, the more unpleasant foxy flavours). Some times known as 'Odessa'

Isabella is thought to be a cross with an unknown labrusca and vinifera species or another thought is that it was a random pollination in Europe. It is said to have been discovered by Mrs Isabella Gibbs from South Carolina, USA in 1816 although there are those that dispute this. It was heavily imported into Europe in the early 19th Century and is said to have good resistance to phylloxera, although often blamed for the 'plague of phylloxera' throughout Europe. It has good resistance to both hot and cooler climates and for this reason can be found in countries such as India, Brazil, Japan and New Zealand.

• Originally from USA.
• Heirloom variety.
• Will withstand hot climates.
• Can be trained using either the cane replacement method or spur pruning.
• Self fertile.
• SO4 Rootstock.