[1][2] The vine was bred in 1879 by Victor Ganzin (1838-1900) in Le Pradet near Toulon in France, who had anticipated to mix the fruit characteristics of V. vinifera with V. Rupestris's resistant feature to root damage by phylloxera.

It was collected at the CSIRO at Merbein, where it was imported from the Viticultural Research Station at Nuriootpa, South Australia in 1963 and was called 'Tinto' (syn.

[3] The ornamental grape is hardy and generally nonfruiting, vigorously growing, deciduous vine with glossy leaves that have a coppery colour when young which mature to greyish green, turning to amber and orange in early autumn, and then become a brilliant scarlet or crimson by mid-autumn.

The inflorescences would then abscess, but occasionally a few flowers produce functional ovaries and at times develop some very small blackish fruit if the climate allows it to, though they don't normally last on the plant and they tend to taste bitter, although birds consume them.

[5] In Australia, the vine is grown for its impressive leaves that turn brilliant red, scarlet, purple and as well as orange in autumn.