The rosé-tinted Delaware grape variety is one of North America's historic grape varieties; there are legends and stories about its origins. The short version is: The Swiss Mallet-Prevost brought some European grape varieties to America at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries and experimented with crosses between European and American vines, probably with Vitis labrusca and Vitis aestivalis. When he later moved to Delaware, he took the wine with him, where it was quite impressive. The grape variety was named after Delaware County. Unfortunately, the Delaware is susceptible to a whole range of vine diseases, including both types of powdery mildew, fungal diseases and rot diseases. The Delaware is also not resistant to phylloxera, which is why it should be grown on grafts. It ripens early with small clusters containing small, thick-skinned berries. The fruit actually tastes less "foxy" than many other American hybrid vines. The sweet grapes are often eaten by birds as they ripen. The wood of the variety is unusually hard. The Delaware has its significant distribution in the northeast and midwest of the USA, especially in the regions of New York State, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Here it is often developed as a pure variety, but also provides the component of a cuvée. The Delaware is available in different wine styles, from dry to sweet to ice wine, but also as sparkling wine. In America, vineyard areas are declining in favor of much more disease-resistant grape varieties. Other small vineyards exist in Japan. In Austria, the Delaware is one of three approved American hybrid grapes for the “Uhudler” wine specialty, which is grown in a small part of southern Burgenland.
This grape variety is also known by the name of:
Delavar Rozovii, Delavar serii, Delavar, Delavare, Delawar, Italian wine grape, Delaware piros Feher Delaware, French Grape, Ladies Choice, Gray Delaware, Heath, Powell, Rose Colored Delaware, Piros Delaware, Ruff, Ruff heath, Wine grape
