See Also

Grape

Grapes are the fruit Fruit

The term fruit has different meanings depending on context.... 

 that grow on a woody grape vine Vine

A vine is any plant of genus [i] Vitis [i] or, by extension, any similar climbing or trailing plant. ... 

. The grapevine belongs to the family Vitaceae. Grapes grow in clusters of 6 to 300, and can be black, blue, golden, green, purple-red and white. They can be eaten raw or used for making grape juice Grape juice

Grape juice is a fruit juice [i] obtained from crushing grape [i]s. ... 

, jelly Jelly

A jelly is a sweet or savoury food gel [i], usually made through the addition of gelatin [i] or pectin [i] ... 

, wine Wine

Wine is an alcoholic beverage [i] produced by the fermentation [i] of the juice of fruit [i] ... 

, and grape seed oil Grape seed oil

Grape oil is a vegetable oil [i] pressed from the seeds of various varieties of Vitis vinifera [i] g ... 

. Raisin Raisin

Raisins are dried grapes [i]. ... 

s are the dried fruit of the grapevine, and the name actually comes from the French word for "grape". Wild grapevines are often considered a nuisance weed, as they cover other plants with their usually rather aggressive growth.

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Encyclopedia

Grapes are the fruit Fruit

The term fruit has different meanings depending on context.... 

 that grow on a woody grape vine Vine

A vine is any plant of genus [i] Vitis [i] or, by extension, any similar climbing or trailing plant. ... 

. The grapevine belongs to the family Vitaceae. Grapes grow in clusters of 6 to 300, and can be black, blue, golden, green, purple-red and white. They can be eaten raw or used for making grape juice Grape juice

Grape juice is a fruit juice [i] obtained from crushing grape [i]s. ... 

, jelly Jelly

A jelly is a sweet or savoury food gel [i], usually made through the addition of gelatin [i] or pectin [i] ... 

, wine Wine

Wine is an alcoholic beverage [i] produced by the fermentation [i] of the juice of fruit [i] ... 

, and grape seed oil Grape seed oil

Grape oil is a vegetable oil [i] pressed from the seeds of various varieties of Vitis vinifera [i] g ... 

.

Raisin Raisin

Raisins are dried grapes [i]. ... 

s are the dried fruit of the grapevine, and the name actually comes from the French word for "grape". Wild grapevines are often considered a nuisance weed, as they cover other plants with their usually rather aggressive growth.

Grapevines

Grapevines are used as food plants by the larva Larva

A larva is a juvenile form of animal [i] with indirect development [i], undergoin... 

e of some Lepidoptera Lepidoptera

The order Lepidoptera is the second largest order [i] in the class [i] insect [i]a and inc ... 

 species - see list of Lepidoptera which feed on grapevines.

Many species of grapevines exist and these include:

  • Vitis vinifera Vitis vinifera

    For thousands of years, the fruit [i] and plant of Vitis vinifera, the European grapevine, hav ... 

    , the European winemaking Winemaking

    [i] production, from the selection of [[grape]... 

     grapevine. Native to virtually all of mainland Europe.
  • Vitis labrusca Vitis labrusca

    Vitis labrusca is a species [i] of grape [i] native to the eastern United States [i]. ... 

    , the North American table and grape juice grapevines, sometimes used for wine. Native to the Eastern U.S. Eastern United States

    The Eastern United States, the American East, or simply the East is traditionally defined as... 

     and Canada Canada

    Canada is the world's second-largest [i] country by total area, occupying most ... 

    .
  • Vitis riparia Vitis riparia

    Vitis riparia Michx, also commonly known as River Bank Grape or Frost Grape, is a native... 

    , a wild vine of North America North America

    North America is a continent [i] in the Earth [i]'s northern hemisphere [i] and almost fully in the western hemisphere [i]... 

    , sometimes used for winemaking and for jam. Native to the entire Eastern U.S. Eastern United States

    The Eastern United States, the American East, or simply the East is traditionally defined as... 

     and north to Quebec Quebec

    Quebec, or Qubec in French [i], In 1898, the Canadian Parliament passed the first ... 

    .
  • Vitis rotundifolia Muscadine

    Muscadines are a grapevine [i] species native to the present-day southeastern United States [i] that has ... 

    , the muscadine Muscadine

    Muscadines are a grapevine [i] species native to the present-day southeastern United States [i] that has ... 

    s, used for jams and wine. Native to the Southeastern U.S. Southeastern United States

    The Southeastern United States refers to a region in the southeastern part of the United States [i]. ... 

     from Delaware Delaware

    Delaware is one of five Middle Atlantic States [i] in the United States of America [i].og ... 

     to the Gulf of Mexico Gulf of Mexico

    The Gulf of Mexico is a major body of water [i] bordered and nearly landlock [i]ed by North America [i]. ... 

    .
  • Vitis aestivalis Vitis aestivalis

    Vitis aestivalis is any of several varieties [i] of grape [i] native to the ... 

    , the variety Norton is used for winemaking
  • Vitis lincecumii , Vitis berlandieri , Vitis cinerea Vitis cinerea

    Vitis cinerea is a variety of grape [i]. ... 

    , Vitis rupestris are used for making hybrid grapevines and for pest-resistant rootstocks.
  • Vitis arizonica A desert grapevine found in the southwestern US that is hardy against extremes of temperature. Can be used for wines.
  • Vitis californica A grapevine important to the California wine industry for its rootstock which is able to withstand pests and cooler weather. Native to California California

    California is a state [i] spanning the southern half of the west coast [i] ... 

     and Oregon Oregon

    Oregon is a state [i] in the Pacific Northwest [i] region of the United States [i]. ... 

    .
  • Vitis vulpina Frost grape. Native to the Midwest Midwestern United States

    The Midwestern United States is a region of the north-central and northeastern United States of America [i] ... 

     east to the coast up through New York New York

    New York is a state [i] in the northeastern [i] United States [i]. ... 

    .

There are many varieties of grapevines; most are cultivars of
V. vinifera.

Hybrid grapes Hybrid

In biology [i], hybrid has two meanings.
... 

 also exist, and these are primarily crosses between
V. vinifera Vitis vinifera

For thousands of years, the fruit [i] and plant of Vitis vinifera, the European grapevine, hav ... 

and one or more varieties of V. labrusca Vitis labrusca

Vitis labrusca is a species [i] of grape [i] native to the eastern United States [i]. ... 

, V. riparia Vitis riparia

Vitis riparia Michx, also commonly known as River Bank Grape or Frost Grape, is a native... 

or V. aestivalis Vitis aestivalis

Vitis aestivalis is any of several varieties [i] of grape [i] native to the ... 

. Hybrids tend to be less susceptible to frost and disease , but wine from some hybrids may have a little of the characteristic "foxy" odor of labrusca Vitis labrusca

Vitis labrusca is a species [i] of grape [i] native to the eastern United States [i]. ... 

.

The sea grape 
Coccoloba uvifera Coccoloba uvifera

The Seagrape is a sprawling bush or small tree that is found near sea beaches throughout tropical America [i] ... 

is actually a member of the Buckwheat family Polygonaceae Polygonaceae

The family Polygonaceae, also known as the knotweed family or smartweed family, are a group ... 

 and is native to the lands of the Caribbean Sea Caribbean Sea

[image:IMG_2908.JPG|thumb|250px|right|A Caribbean beach in Isla Margarita [i], Venezuela [i].]] [i]
... 

.

According to the "Food and Agriculture Organization" , 75,866 square kilometres of the world is dedicated to grapes. Approximately 71% of world grape production is used for wine, 27% as fresh fruit, and 2% as dried fruit. A portion of grape production goes to producing grape juice to be used as a sweetener for fruits canned "with no added sugar" and "100% natural". The area dedicated to vineyards is increasing by about 2% per year.

The following list of top wine-producers shows the corresponding areas dedicated to grapes for wine making:
  • Spain 11,750 kmē
  • France 8,640 kmē
  • Italy 8,270 kmē
  • Turkey 8,120 kmē
  • United States 4,150 kmē
  • Iran 2,860 kmē
  • Romania 2,480 kmē
  • Portugal 2,160 kmē
  • Argentina 2,080 kmē
  • China 1,780 kmē
  • Australia 1,642 kmē


Sources: FAO, , [https://www.awbc.com.au/winefacts/data/free.asp?subcatid=102 Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation].

Researchers,such as Marty Mayo, comparing diets in western countries have discovered that although the French tend to eat higher levels of animal fat, surprisingly the incidence of heart disease remains low in France. They named this phenomenon the French Paradox. Many scientists now believe the reason is the greater consumption of red wine in France. Something in the grape helps to lower cholesterol levels in the body and thus slows the build up of deposits in the arteries. Compounds such as resveratrol Resveratrol

|-
| align="center" colspan="2" | |-
... 

  have been discovered in grapes and these have been positively linked to fighting cancer, heart disease, degenerative nerve Nerve

[i]s, which includes the [[glia]... 

 disease and other ailments. Doctors do not recommend excessive consumption of red wine, but three or four glasses a week is beneficial and encouraged.

Although many people incorrectly assume that red grapes are more beneficial to the health, in fact grapes of all colors offer comparable benefits. Red wine however does offer some health benefits not found in white wine, because many of the beneficial compounds are found in the skins of the grapes, and only red wine is fermented with the skins.

Another common misconception is that white wine has to be made from green grapes. In fact, it can be made from green or red varieties. Red wines are made from red grapes, but the colouration is a result of including the skins in the fermentation process.


Raisins, currants, and sultanas

A raisin Raisin

Raisins are dried grapes [i]. ... 

is any dried grape. A currant is a dried Zante Zakynthos

Zakynthos, the third largest of the Ionian Islands [i], covers an area of 410 square kilometers [i] ... 

 grape, the name being a corruption of the French French language

French is the third-largest of the Romance languages [i] in terms of number of native speakers, after Spanish [i] ... 

 raisin de Corinthe . A sultana was originally a raisin made from a specific type of grape of Turkish origin, but the word is now applied to raisins made from common North American grapes and chemically treated to resemble the traditional sultana.

Note that, while raisin is a French loanword, the word in French refers to the fresh fruit; grappe refers to the bunch . As raisin is uncountable in French, a single grape is a grain de raisin.

Note also that currant has come to refer also to the blackcurrant Blackcurrant

The Blackcurrant is a species of currant [i] native to central and northern Europe [i] and norther ... 

 and redcurrant Redcurrant

The Redcurrant is a member of the genus Ribes [i] in the gooseberry [i] family Grossulariaceae [i],... 

, two berries completely unrelated to grapes.

Grape seed extract

The seeds in grapes are known to contain procyanidolic oligomers, also known as PCOs. Researchers have concluded that PCOs strengthen blood vessels, and improve blood circulation. Grape seed extract may help slow aging, prevent heart disease, deter cancer, lessen allergy symptoms, and eye strain, and fight certain skin diseases. In recent studies grape extract has also been shown to lessen cellulite, and lower cholesterol and blood pressure levels. The use of grape seed extract is available in forms such as: liquid, tablet, and capsule. Grape seed extract has not yet been shown to have any negative effects on consumers.

Seedlessness in Grapes

Seedlessness is a highly desirable trait in table grape selection, and seedless cultivars now make up the overwhelming majority of table grape plantings. Because grapevines are vegetatively propagated by cuttings, the lack of seeds does not present a problem for reproduction. It is, however, an issue for breeders, who must either use a seeded variety as the female parent or rescue embryos early in development using tissue culture techniques.

There are several sources of the seedlessness trait, and essentially all commercial cultivars get it from one of three sources: 'Thompson Seedless', 'Russian Seedless', and 'Black Monukka'. All are members of Vitis vinifera Vitis vinifera

For thousands of years, the fruit [i] and plant of Vitis vinifera, the European grapevine, hav ... 

.

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