Vitis labrusca x vinifera Opalina - Dessert Grape

The 'Opalina' vine is a table grape vine of hybrid origin that is characterised by its great natural resistance to diseases and its black, almost seedless (semi-apyrenus) grapes with a slight strawberry flavour. The plant produces beautiful clusters of medium-sized berries, ripening from the end of August. This tasty and attractive grape vine requires little maintenance. It can be grown in the garden, on a pergola, in a container, or trained against a wall.

Vitis 'Opalina' is a horticultural selection related to the 'Fragola' group of vines. These are hybrids of Vitis labrusca and Vitis vinifera with uncertain origins. Their flagship variety, the strawberry grape 'Fragola Nera', is likely the result of a spontaneous cross-breeding that occurred in the United States during the trials of European grape varieties. It seems that the arrival of phylloxera, which decimated the European vineyards at the end of the 19th century, can be attributed to this type of resistant hybrids imported to the old continent for winemaking. However, their grapes produce more toxic methanol during the fermentation process, and their winemaking has been prohibited. On the other hand, it is these molecules that give the 'Fragola' type grape its typical strawberry aroma. The 'Fragola' varieties were on the verge of disappearing from cultivation. But their exceptional aromatic flavour allowed these vines to continue to be cultivated for table grapes. All vines belong to the Vitaceae family.

Vitis 'Opalina' is a sarmentous, climbing bush, whose serpentine stems with tendrils can reach over 5 metres in length over time. It forms a trunk which is often knotty and twisted, covered with fibrous, reddish-brown bark that flakes off in strips as it ages. Its long green stems bear beautiful round, medium green leaves with serrated edges, hairy on the underside, turning yellow before falling in autumn. It blooms in late spring, from May to June depending on the region, in the form of dense and well-formed, pyramidal to cylindrical clusters loaded with tiny nectar-rich green flowers. After pollination by insects, the berries we call grapes are formed.

The 'Opalina' vine produces fairly large, cylindrical, compact clusters, weighing about 300 grams. The black grapes are oval, medium-sized, with thick skin. Their violet flesh is firm and juicy, with few seeds and a slight aroma of red fruits.

The 'Opalina' grape is very hardy and easy to grow in any well-drained garden soil. The vigorous plant is pruned in late winter, after the frost, above 3 buds (buds) to promote the formation of new shoots that will flower. When grown in full sun, it will be very decorative along a wall, on a pergola, a trellis, in the ground, or in a large container on a terrace, sheltered from strong winds.