Description
Isabella is an old American grape from South Carolina, a natural hybrid of the wild fox grape Vitis labrusca and a European vine. It has dozens of local names, including Uva Fragola, 'strawberry grape', in Italy. The medium bunches carry round, black berries with a blue bloom, a thick, tough skin and slipskin flesh with the strong 'foxy', strawberry-like aroma typical of labrusca. It ripens late. It is used for juice, jam, wine and fresh eating, and in southern Brazil it is the main juice grape.
Characteristics
Black (blue-black) table and juice grape; seeded; medium, roughly cylindrical bunches of about 140 g; medium round black berries with heavy blue bloom; thick, tough skin; slipskin flesh with strong strawberry ('foxy') aroma; late ripening (about 150 to 180 days); very vigorous with large leaves; bisexual flowers; resistant to powdery mildew and bunch rot, but susceptible to downy mildew and anthracnose
Growing Tips
Isabella grows very long shoots and makes big leaves, so it covers a pergola quickly. Thin crowded shoots, because dense growth encourages downy mildew and uneven ripening. It resists powdery mildew and bunch rot in humid weather, so it needs much less spraying than European grapes. It ripens late, so it may not mature in short northern seasons.