Enjoy the Wineberry or Wine Raspberry This Summer

In the late spring to early summer, berry gatherers have a real treat, what with black raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, elderberries, and all the other assorted fruits suitable for jellies, jams, wines, sauces including barbecue sauce, and pies. One that may be new to the reader, is the wineberry. What is a wineberry? Most simply put, it is a special variety of raspberry. The most common wineberry is Rubus phoneicolasius Maxim. Wineberries are ruby-red when ripe and are slightly sticky to the touch. Unlike the commercial raspberry, they have a shiny appearance.

History

A native of China, Japan, and Korea, the wineberry grows in much of the eastern third of the United States. Although some claim it was brought here to serve as an ornamental, according to the National Park Service - Plant Conservation Alliance, the wineberry was introduced in 1890 to serve as breeding stock for the development of new cultivars.

Wildlife

Besides eating the berries, some bird varieties find the brambles of Wineberry very suitable for nesting and shelter. The canes are right at home along the sunny borders of woods, especially if water is present. Unfortunately, the canes can form a thicket covering a large area, and as a result is considered by most an invasive nuisance. Government agencies discourage the planting of wineberry unless vigilant effort will be made at containment.

Gustatory Uses

The wineberry is good simply eaten with cream and sugar, though it can be used in all the ways described above. Some recipes can be obtained at the Wildman Steve Brill website. Another site offering a recipe for the tantalizing "Grandma Rose's Wineberry Pie" can be found at the Farmer's Daughter website. After the pie, enjoy another wineberry wine, compliments of Jack Keller.

References and Resources:

Interactive Flora of NW Europe

National Park Service - Plant Conservation Alliance - Wineberry

USDA - Plants Profile - Rubus phoneicolasius Maxim - Wine raspberry

Mother Earth News - "The Wineberry's Winning Ways"