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Black Grape

The sweet ‘forbidden’ fruit with a strong aroma of strawberries.

Origin

The Isabella or Americana grape is a variety from the Vitis Lambrusca family. Originally from the US, these grapes arrived in Italy around 1825 to combat the phylloxera parasite epidemic that nearly brought about the extinction of wine-making grapes in Europe. Isabella grapes were introduced because they were immune to the insect, but with time became almost exclusively a table grape. Today, they’re cultivated in Italy mainly in the north, and the harvest takes place in the beginning of October. However, there’s one early variety of Isabella grape, known for its especially strong aroma, which ripens in August and can be picked until September.

Cookit

Thanks to their tart sweetness and strawberry-like flavor, this is the perfect grape variety to eat fresh. They’re also great for desserts, preserves and liqueurs. Their sweetness makes them ideal for rich pasta dishes and enhances main courses based on game meat or raw shellfish. Tuscan cuisine even has a special sweet and savory recipe called schiacciata fiorentina, which is made with grapes, oil and sugar!

Did you know

In 1931, due to the poor quality of wine they produced and the high level of methanol they contain naturally, many countries banned Isabella grapes for winemaking. Today, they’re mainly used as a table fruit. The liqueur made from them – the infamous Fragolino – is exclusively for home production and consumption. Distilled liquors are the only things sold commercially.

Variety

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