Narrative
Type = American hybrid. Per Galet (see citation): [about V. monticola Buckley] "Growing tip: flat, open; stem downy, rose; tiny leaves slightly downy, pinkish. Young leaves: glabrous, copper, very shiny. Leaf: between cuneiform and truncate, small, 236 to 246-3 to 4-46 to 58, contorted, slightly crimped around the petiole, entire 11, glabrous on both sides, highly glossy (varnished looking), bright green, thick; lyre-shaped petiolar sinus; teeth convex. symmetrical, pointed making leaves seem prickly. Shoot: green, sometimes violet, finely ribbed, cobwebby, rust-colored especially at tip; stipules reddish; tendrils intermittent, strong, red. Flower cluster: short; male or femal depending on cultivar. Cluster: very small, cylindrical, fairly compact; small, round berries 5 to 10 mm, black, little juice, neutral or herbaceous flavor. Wine made in Montpellier is rich in alcohol, low in acid, low in color, with bitter taste. Seeds: medium, swollen, nearly round, clear brown to reddish brown; beak short, almost nonexistent; chalaza in position 0.56. Growth habit: thin, not very leafy. In Montpellier, the shoots remained fairly short. According to T.V. Munson, it may climb from 10 to 30 feet. In any case it is not noted for its vigor or luscious growth. This species, sometimes known as the Sweet Mountain or Sugar grape, is late ripening; budbreak is at the beginning of April, bloom in the first part of June, and maturation at the beginning of October. The roots have only a fair resistance to phyloxera (9/20), but the leaves show no signs of galls. It appears to have a medium resistance to Pierce's disease (8 to 10 years, according to Loomis). V. monticola was first noticed because of its high tolerance to lime. Unfortunately, its cuttings do not take root, and it is very difficult ot graft successfully which limits its viability as a rootstock. None of its descendants has been commercially successful."