Description
Black Corinth, Korinthiaki Mavro in Greek, is the ancient Greek grape that gives dried Zante currants. Its small black berries are seedless: the vine rarely forms normal seeds and sets fruit without them. Most of the crop is dried, but the grapes are also eaten fresh and made into wine. Around the Mediterranean it has gathered dozens of names, among them Passerina and Corinto Nero.
Characteristics
Black seedless grape; small berries; Greek origin; sets seedless berries and rarely forms normal seeds; very shy bearer unless girdled or treated; used mainly for currants, also for table and wine
Growing Tips
Left alone, Black Corinth is a very shy bearer and often barely sets fruit. A 1931 University of California extension circular calls girdling, removing a narrow ring of bark from the trunk, an old practice wherever the variety is grown. Californian growers later switched to gibberellic acid sprays applied around capfall.