Mr. Aiton, writing in the Horticultural Society's Transactions, iii 93, where a colored drawing is given of this grape, says: "I first noticed the Esperione Grape about the year 1804, in the catalogue of Mr. R. Williams, the respected nurseryman at Turnham Green. Struck with the novelty of the name, I procured from him three healthy vines, which were planted the same year in His Majesty's gardens at Windsor in a south aspect, and 800 square feet of wall were allowed for their culture. This space was completely covered in the fourth year, and since that time the plants have always produced and matured large crops of fruit. Unfavorable as was the last season, they ripened about 1200 bunches of well-colored grapes. The Esperione is prolific to an extraordinary degree, very hardy, and of most luxuriant growth, perfecting its fruit equally well and early with the Sweetwater and Muscadine, and in unfavorable seasons has a decided advantage over these varieties, and, indeed, over any other hardy grape that I am acquainted with. The wood of this vine is strong and high-colored; the buds are large, round, and woolly.

The fruit is produced on large bunches, handsomely shouldered, differing little in size from the Hamburgh. The berries vary much in size, being sometimes round, frequently flat-rotund, and indented on the head with the remains of the style. A groove or channel is often observed on one or both sides, decreasing from the head downwards. The skin, which is covered with a thick blue farina, is of a deep purple color, inclining to black. The flesh adheres to the skin, and though neither high-flavored nor melting, is pleasant The leaves are variously cut, and die upon the tree of an orange hue".

Lindley, in his Guide to the Orchard, copies the above, but gives no additional information. In the Catalogue of the Horticultural Society it has the synonymes "Hardy Blue Windsor, Turner's Black, Cumberland Lodge, and Red Port (of some)." With regard to the name, we believe it to have reference to its being raised from seed in the west, esperios, in Greek, being westerly.