We have bushes on our front fence that were there when we moved in. They appeared to be some type of vine. We couldn't figure out what kind for sure and we had just moved in and it was not on our priority list. We knew that it filled up the cyclone fence and fanned over the top to make a wonderful privacy fence.
This year we are more settled in and realized that they were actually fruiting. My husband thought they looked like grape vines and they are very much like them. The berries began forming in the spring but it was mid to late summer before they actually started to ripen. They are small berries but they grow in bunches, like grapes. They hide pretty well under the leaves so picking them is a process but we had a lot of fun doing it.
We still weren't all that energetic although we tried a few and found them to be very sweet and juicy. Our daughter-in-law came over one day and being the chef that she is wanted to experiment with them. We picked a huge bag full and she took them home with her to experiment. She wanted to make juice and so she was able to put them through a sieve which removes the fruit from the seed. They do have a good sized seed but there is still plenty fruit to use. She made some juice and then decided to make some pancake syrup and it is absolutely delicious! She can't wait to begin using them in other types of recipes and plans to grow some of her own next year. She's thinking jams, pies, pastries, etc.
We determined that they are a Black Currant Berry not grapes. They look very similar to the Consort Black Currants, Ribes nigrum "consort" that are available on our website. These are the easiest things to grow, they need almost no care whatsoever. Ours are very tough and can handle about any amount of abuse, being on the sidewalk side of our yard and being near an elementary school, they get poked and prodded on a regular basis. They are getting full sun and mainly rainwater we don't give them any extra watering. These were already established however, so if you are just starting to grow them they will need some initial care than they will down the road.
I know we plan to take better advantage of them next year, I am thinking putting them on ice cream or in smoothies, after pitting of course, might be delicious!