From: nicodemus@foobar.hellsuncles.co.uk   
      
   riburr wrote:   
   > 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?   
      
   True, but the insect is unlikely to infest seeds - only the roots, I'd   
   guess.   
      
   Most grape viness now are sold on wild grape stocks.   
      
   --   
   Old Nick   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)