| Isabella | |
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| Isabella grapes | |
| Color of berry skin: | Noir |
| Species: | Vitis x Labruscana |
| Also called: | Over 50 including; Alexander, Fragola & Izabella |
| Origin: | USA |
| Notable regions: | USA, USSR and Latin America. |
| Notable wines: | Fragolino and Uhudler |
The Isabella grape is a cultivar derived from the grape species Vitis labrusca or 'fox grape' which is used for table, juice and wine production.[1][2]
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Appearance and use
The skin of Isabella when ripened is a dark purple, almost black with a tender green-yellow flesh. It has large well formed fruit clusters with thick bloom.[3] It is a slip skin variety, meaning that the skin separates easily from the fruit. The grapes are used to make wine, most notably Uhudler and Fragolino. The Isabella being of the genus Vitis x Labruscana imparts a "foxiness" to the wine and because of this is thought to be objectionable,[1] therefore it is not seen as a grape capable of making fine wines. For the table the flavour is good though with the astringent tough skin and "foxy" aroma is objectionable for some tastes.[3]
History
Isabella, although popularly classified as being of Vitis labrusca parentage, is almost certainly a cross with an unknown Vitis vinifera, illustrated by the susceptibility to mildew and black rot. It is thought that it resulted from random pollination when European Vitis vinifera grapes were attempted to be established in America.[4] It was popularly thought to have been discovered by a Mrs Isabella Gibbs of South Carolina in 1816,[1] however there is conflicting information with other sources stating it was found in Virginia, Delaware and Europe.[3] Isabella vines were heavily imported into Europe in the early 1800s and it is said that it is probably that the phylloxera was introduced into Europe on the roots of Isabella — Isabella having a resistance to the phylloxera.
Modern history
Isabella is no longer a commercially important grape as it produces poor wines due to its labrusca inheritance and new plantings were banned in France after 1934,[1] however as a high yielding grape capable of withstanding tropical and semi-tropical conditions, it has been planted in Portugal, Ukraine and other former Soviet nations, Japan, and various locations in the southern hemisphere such as in Brazil, where it is a leading grape variety,[1] in the U.S. it is sparsely found in New York State.[2] It is grown due to its phylloxera resistance and its cold hardiness.[2]
Aliases
Isabella has over 50 aliases including: Albany Surprise, Alexander, Black Cape, Borgoña, Champania, Constantia, Dorchester, Fragola, Framboisier, Isabelle, Izabella, Raisin De Cassis, Moschostaphylo, Kerkyraios,Tudum and Tzortzidika.[2]
References
- ^ a b c d e winepros.com.au. The Oxford Companion to Wine. "Isabella". http://www.winepros.com.au/jsp/cda/reference/oxford_entry.jsp?entry_id=1602.
- ^ a b c d appellationamerica.com Isabella
- ^ a b c winemaking.jackkeller.net Winemaking Questions, Page 2: Isabella Grapes
- ^ wineloverspage.com The Super Gigantic Y2K Winegrape Glossary: Isabella
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