From: riburr@shentel.net   
      
   Macabre of Auchterloonie wrote:   
   >   
   > Does that wild vine have usable grapes? If so, in season, might you be   
   > able to (Shhhhh! A nonny-mousely) slip me some seeds?   
   >   
      
   There are a number of wild grape species common in the eastern U.S.   
   (Vitus labrusca, V. vulpina, etc.)  Most bear small fruit and are known   
   as foxgrapes.  These are generally not considered to make good wine,   
   although hybrids with old-world V. vinifera has resulted in popular wine   
   grape cultivars (Vidal, Traminette, Chambourcin, etc.).   
      
   Wine snobs tend to look down on the hybrid varietal wines, but some have   
   gained world renown.  The ice wines of Canada usually are made using   
   Vidal, picked while still frozen on the vine and processed before thawing.   
      
   Since these wild grape vines from the Colonies were what introduced   
   phylloxera (an insect that feeds on the roots) into the vineyards in   
   Europe, resulting in wide-spread devastation, I suspect rules for import   
   are rather strict.  But, who's to know?   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)