(Vulpina, Labrusca)
Oporto was at one time in demand as a wine grape because its wine resembled in color and flavor that from Oporto. The variety is now scarcely known, being inferior in most of its horticultural characters to others of its species, but might be valuable in breeding for some of its characters. The vine is very hardy, unusually free from fungal diseases, is very resistant to phylloxera and has been used in France as a phylloxera-resistant grafting-stock. The juice is very thick and dark, a deep purple, hence suitable for adding color to wine or grape-juice. The origin of Oporto is unknown. It was brought into cultivation about 1860 by E. W. Sylvester, Lyons, New York.
Vine very vigorous, hardy, healthy, variable in productiveness. Canes long, reddish-brown; nodes enlarged, flattened; internodes long, diaphragm thin; tendrils continuous, bifid. Stamens reflexed.
Fruit mid-season, ships and keeps well. Clusters small, cylindrical, often single-shouldered. Berries medium in size, round, black, glossy with abundant bloom, persistent, firm; skin very thin, tender, with much dark wine-colored pigment; flesh white, sometimes with purple tinge, juicy, fine-grained, solid, sweet, spicy; fair quality. Seeds free, numerous, small, broad, faintly notched, sharply pointed, plump, dark brown.
Othello
(Vinifera, Vulpina, Labrusca)
Arnold's Hybrid, Canadian Hamburg, Canadian Hybrid
In France, Othello does remarkably well as a direct producer and is used also for a resistant stock. While most of its characters are spoken of in the superlative by the French, in America the variety is not so highly esteemed because of susceptibility to fungi. Moreover, the fruit matures so late that it could never become a valuable variety for the North. It is in no sense a table-grape but makes a well-colored, pleasant wine. Charles Arnold, Paris, Ontario, grew Othello from seed of Clinton fertilized by Black Hamburg and planted in 1859.
Vine vigorous, hardy, productive. Canes long, brown; nodes enlarged, flattened; tendrils continuous, sometimes intermittent, bifid or trifid. Leaves of average size; upper surface light green, dull and smooth; lower surface pale green, pubescent; lobes three to five with terminal lobe acute; petiolar sinus deep, very narrow, frequently closed and overlapping; basal sinus shallow, narrow; lateral sinus deep; teeth deep, wide; stamens upright.
Fruit late, keeps fairly well. Clusters large, long, broad, tapering, frequently with a loose single shoulder, compact; pedicel long, slender with numerous small warts; brush short, wine-colored. Berries large, oval, black, glossy with abundant bloom, very persistent; skin thin, tough, adherent with red pigment; flesh dark green, very juicy, fine-grained, tough, sprightly; low in quality. Seeds free, one to three, neck sometimes swollen, brown.