The Delaware grape was first brought to notice by Abram Thompson, editor of the Delaware Gazette of Delaware, Ohio. In the summer of 1849 he saw fruit of this variety which had been brought into town from one of the neighboring farms. An investigation disclosed that the variety was being raised on the farms of a Mr. Warford and of a Mr. Heath, near the banks of the Scioto River, a few miles from the town of Delaware, and that Warford had brought the variety from the State of New Jersey more than twenty years before. It was known in this neighborhood under the name of Heath, or Powell. Thompson sent fruit of the variety to A. J. Downing who gave it the name Delaware, after the town from which the samples had been sent. Thompson also brought it to the notice of the Ohio Pomological Society in the autumn of 1851. It was found that the Delaware vines secured by Warford could be traced back to the garden of Paul H. Provost, a Swiss of Frenchtown, Kingswood Township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey. Provost, at this time, was dead, and definite information was very difficult to secure as to where he had obtained his vines. One account was that they had been received from a brother residing in Italy, and in deference to this story, the variety was locally known as the Italian wine grape. Another story was to the effect that they had been brought to Provost’s place by a German who had been in this country only a short time but who had spent this interval with Hare Powell of Philadelphia. Whether the German secured the vines from the Old Country or from Powell is uncertain. There was a report that they had been secured from Powell and that he in turn had received them from Bland of Virginia. All of the stories as to how the vines came into Provost’s garden lack supporting evidence and some were of the opinion that it had grown in the garden as a seedling.
The Delaware at once attracted great attention and the horticultural journals were full of conflicting accounts of its history and of warm discussions as to its botany. In 1856 it was placed on the grape list of the American Pomological Society fruit catalog as “a new variety which promises well;” two years later it was placed on the list of recommended sorts.
There is still a difference of opinion as to the botany of this variety. The theory advanced by many when it was first introduced, that it is a pure Vinifera, has been abandoned. Millardet and others considered the Delaware a hybrid between Vinifera, Labrusca, Cinerea and Aestivalis. Munson holds that it is of Labrusca-Bourquiniana origin with a probable slight admixture of Vinifera. He further states that he considers Elsinburgh probably one of the parents. Historically this is corroborated by the fact that Elsingburgh originated in New Jersey not far from where Provost lived.
Vine not a strong grower, hardy except in unfavorable locations, fairly productive, somewhat subject to leaf-hoppers and mildew. Canes medium to below in length, numerous, slender, rather light to medium dark brown; nodes slightly enlarged, not flattened; internodes rather short; diaphragm intermediate in thickness; pith small; shoots glabrous; tendrils intermittent, somewhat short, bifid.
Leaf-buds rather small, of average length, slender, pointed to conical, prominent, open early. Young leaves tinged on lower side and along margin of upper side with a faint golden hue but the prevailing color is light rose-carmine. Foliage not always healthy; leaves medium to small, intermediate in thickness; upper surface dark green, dull, smoothish; lower surface pale green, slightly pubescent; veins inconspicuous; lobes three to five in number, terminal lobe acute to acuminate; petiolar sinus of average depth, narrow to medium; basal sinus shallow and narrow when present; lateral sinus moderately deep, narrow; teeth shallow, of fair width. Flowers fertile, open somewhat late; stamens upright.
Fruit ripens a few days earlier than Concord, keeps well. Clusters medium to small, of average length, slender, rather blunt, often cylindrical, regular, usually shouldered, compact; peduncle medium to short, slender; pedicel short, slender, smooth; brush intermediate in size, light brown. Berries uniform in size and shape, small to medium, roundish, light red, covered with thin lilac bloom, persistent, firm. Skin thin, moderately tough, adheres somewhat to the pulp, contains no pigment, slightly astringent. Flesh light green, translucent, juicy, tender, aromatic, vinous, sprightly and refreshing, sweet to agreeably tart from skin to center, best in quality. Seeds separate easily from the pulp, one to four, average two, intermediate in size, rather broad, notched, short, blunt, light brownish; raphe obscure; chalaza of medium size, above center, circular. Must 100°-118°.