Moyer at its best is almost a counterpart of its parent Delaware. It has all of the faults of Delaware and some added ones. Were it not for the fact that the variety is from one to two weeks earlier than its parent, and somewhat hardier, hence better adapted for colder regions, it could not have received the recognition given it by viticulturists. As compared with Delaware, it is hardly as vigorous and is less productive. It is reputed to be more free from rot and mildew, the latter especially. The bunches are much like those of Delaware but with the fault of setting fruit imperfectly oftentimes even when cross-pollination is insured. The berries are a little larger but of much the same color and of like flavor, rich, sweet, and with pure vinousness without a trace of foxiness but withal not of so high quality as Delaware. The fruit keeps well, ships well, and does not crack nor shell in New York. Moyer is well established in Canada, where it originated, and is highly thought of, proving perfectly hardy wherever the Concord is grown and possibly standing even more cold. Its place is as an early Delaware for northern regions.
W. H. Read of Port Dalhousie, Lincoln County, Ontario, raised the original vine of Moyer about 1880, from seed of Delaware fertilized by Miller’s Burgundy. It was named after Allan Moyer of St. Catharines, Ontario, who introduced the variety in 1888. Moyer was placed on the grape list of the American Pomological Society fruit catalog in 1899.
Vine vigorous to medium, hardy, healthy, not productive. Canes intermediate in length, numerous, medium to slender, rather dull dark reddish-brown; nodes slightly enlarged, flattened; internodes short to medium; diaphragm thin; pith medium to below in size; shoots pubescent; tendrils continuous, medium to rather long, bifid to trifid.
Leaf-buds of about average size and thickness, short, conical to rather obtuse, open very late. Young leaves tinged on under side and along margin of upper side with rose-carmine. Leaves small to medium, of average thickness; upper surface dark green, dull and smooth; lower surface very pale green or with faint blue tinge, heavily pubescent; lobes two to five with terminus acute; petiolar sinus shallow to medium, not narrow; basal sinus usually lacking, but shallow when present; lateral sinus shallow, narrow; teeth very shallow, medium to narrow. Flowers sterile, open early; stamens reflexed.
Fruit ripens from one to two weeks earlier than Delaware, keeps well but loses its color if kept too long. Clusters medium to small, short and slender, irregularly tapering, sometimes single-shouldered, medium in compactness; peduncle intermediate in length, somewhat slender; pedicel inclined to short, of average thickness, covered with very small warts; brush yellowish-green. Berries medium to small, oblate, dark red covered with dark lilac to faint blue bloom, persistent, rather firm. Skin intermediate in thickness, not tender, does not adhere to the pulp, astringent. Flesh light green, translucent, juicy, rather tender, fine-grained, somewhat vinous, good to very good. Seeds separate easily from the pulp, one to four, average two or three, intermediate in size, broad, short, very blunt, brown with yellow tinge at tips; raphe obscure; chalaza of fair size, slightly above center, irregularly circular, obscure.