▁by ▁Pl iny ▁the ▁E lder , ▁who ▁described ▁a ▁tiny , ▁ju icy , ▁thick - sk inned ▁gra pe ▁with ▁small ▁bunch es . ▁The ▁next ▁mention ▁is ▁a ▁mill en ni um ▁later , ▁when ▁the ▁ra is ins ▁became ▁a ▁subject ▁of ▁trade ▁between ▁Ven et ian ▁mer ch ants ▁and ▁Greek ▁produ cers ▁from ▁I onian ▁coast s . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 4 th ▁century , ▁they ▁were ▁sold ▁in ▁the ▁English ▁market ▁under ▁the ▁label ▁Re ys yn s ▁de ▁C ora unt z , ▁and ▁the ▁name ▁ra is ins ▁of ▁Cor inth ▁was ▁recorded ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 5 th ▁century , ▁after ▁the ▁Greek ▁har bor ▁which ▁was ▁the ▁primary ▁source ▁of ▁export . ▁Grad ually , ▁the ▁name ▁got ▁cor rupted ▁into ▁curr ant . ▁However , ▁by ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century , ▁trade ▁shift ed ▁towards ▁the ▁I onian ▁islands , ▁particularly ▁Zak yn th os ▁( Z ante ), ▁at ▁which ▁time ▁it ▁was ▁named ▁Z ante ▁curr ant . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁attempts ▁to ▁introduce ▁the ▁Black ▁Cor inth ▁cultiv ar ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁date ▁back ▁to ▁ 1 8 5 4 . ▁The ▁first ▁successful ▁v ine y ards ▁of ▁White ▁and ▁Red ▁Cor inth ▁( related ▁vari eties ), ▁were ▁established ▁in ▁California ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 1 ▁by ▁Colonel ▁Á g oston ▁Har asz thy . ▁Ar ound ▁ 1 9 0 1 , ▁David ▁Fair child ▁of ▁US DA ▁imported ▁high