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Vitis is a genus of about 60 species of vining plants in the flowering plant
Flowering plant

The flowering plants or angiosperms are the most widespread group of Embryophytes. The flowering plants and the gymnosperms are the only extant groups of Spermatophyte....
 family Vitaceae
Vitaceae

Vitaceae are a family of dicotyledonous flowering plants including the grape and Virginia creeper. The family name is derived from the genus Vitis....
. The genus is made up of species predominantly from the Northern hemisphere. It is economically important as the source of grape
Grape

File:Table grapes on white.jpgA grape is the non-Climacteric #In_botany fruit that grows on the Perennial plant and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis....
s, both for direct consumption of the fruit and for fermentation to produce wine
Wine

Wine is an alcoholic beverage often made of fermentation grape juice. The natural chemical balance of grapes is such that they can ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes or other nutrients....
. The study and cultivation of grapevines is called viticulture
Viticulture

Viticulture is the science, cultivation and study of grapes which deals with the series of events that occur in the vineyard. When the grapes are used for winemaking, it is also known as viniculture....
.

Vitis is distinguished from other genera of Vitaceae by having petals which remain joined at the tip and detach from the base to fall together as a calyptra or 'cap'.






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Vitis is a genus of about 60 species of vining plants in the flowering plant
Flowering plant

The flowering plants or angiosperms are the most widespread group of Embryophytes. The flowering plants and the gymnosperms are the only extant groups of Spermatophyte....
 family Vitaceae
Vitaceae

Vitaceae are a family of dicotyledonous flowering plants including the grape and Virginia creeper. The family name is derived from the genus Vitis....
. The genus is made up of species predominantly from the Northern hemisphere. It is economically important as the source of grape
Grape

File:Table grapes on white.jpgA grape is the non-Climacteric #In_botany fruit that grows on the Perennial plant and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis....
s, both for direct consumption of the fruit and for fermentation to produce wine
Wine

Wine is an alcoholic beverage often made of fermentation grape juice. The natural chemical balance of grapes is such that they can ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes or other nutrients....
. The study and cultivation of grapevines is called viticulture
Viticulture

Viticulture is the science, cultivation and study of grapes which deals with the series of events that occur in the vineyard. When the grapes are used for winemaking, it is also known as viniculture....
.

Biology

Vitis is distinguished from other genera of Vitaceae by having petals which remain joined at the tip and detach from the base to fall together as a calyptra or 'cap'. The flower
Flower

A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproduction structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to mediate the union of male sperm with female ovum in order to produce seeds....
s are unisexual or modified to act functionally as unisexual, they are pentamerous with a hypogynous disk. The calyx is greatly reduced or nonexistent in most species and the petals are joined at the summit into one unit but separated at the base. Flower buds are formed later in the growing season and overwinter for blooming in spring of the next year. There are two types of flowers produced, sterile flowers with five long filaments and erect stamens with undeveloped pistils and fertile flowers with well developed pistals and that have five undeveloped reflexed stamens. The fruit
Fruit

The term fruit has different meanings dependent on context, and the term is not synonymous in food preparation and biology. In botany, which is the scientific study of plants, fruits are the ripened Ovary of flowering plants....
 is a berry
Berry

In everyday English, a berry is a broad term for any small edible fruit. Most berries are juicy, round or semi-oblong, brightly coloured, sweet or sour, and don't have a stone or pit....
, normally produced with four or less per flower by way of aborted embryos, ovoid in shape and juicy.

In the wild, all species of Vitis are normally dioecious
Plant sexuality

Plant sexuality covers the wide variety of sexual reproduction systems found across the plant kingdom. This article describes Morphology aspects of sexual reproduction of plants....
, but under domestication, variants with perfect flowers appear to have been selected.

Most Vitis species have 38 chromosomes (n=19), but 40 (n=20) in subgenus Muscadinia. In that respect the Muscadinia are the same as other Vitaceae such as Ampelocissus, Parthenocissus
Parthenocissus

Parthenocissus is a genus of climbing plants from the grape family, Vitaceae. It contains about 10 species, from Asia and North America. Several are grown for ornamental use....
, and Ampelopsis
Ampelopsis

Ampelopsis is a genus of climbing shrubs, in the grape family Vitaceae. The name is derived from the Greek word ampelos, which means "vine"....
.

Uses

The fruit of several Vitis species are grown commercially for consumption as fresh grape
Grape

File:Table grapes on white.jpgA grape is the non-Climacteric #In_botany fruit that grows on the Perennial plant and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis....
s and for fermentation into wine
Wine

Wine is an alcoholic beverage often made of fermentation grape juice. The natural chemical balance of grapes is such that they can ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes or other nutrients....
. Vitis vinifera
Vitis vinifera

For the town in Australia, see Vinifera, VictoriaVitis vinifera is a species of Vitis, native to the Mediterranean Basin, central Europe, and southwestern Asia, from Morocco and Spain north to southern Germany and east to northern Iran....
 is the most important species.

The leaves of the grape vine
Grape leaves

File:Grapevineleaf2500ppx.jpgVitis Leaf are used in the cuisines of a number of cultures, including Greek cuisine, Turkish cuisine, Arab cuisine, and Romanian cuisine....
 itself are considered edible and are used in the production of dolmades and Vietnamese lot leaves
Lot leaves

Lot leaves is a plant of Vietnam. Vietnamese is usualy use for some foods called "Cha". Forexample, "Ch? th?t b? cu?n l? l?t"....
.

Species

Most Vitis species are found in the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere in North America
North America

North America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and almost totally in the western hemisphere....
 and Asia
Asia

Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent. It covers 8.6% of the Earth's total surface area and, with over 4 billion people, it contains more than 60% of the world's current human population....
 with a few in the tropics. The wine grape Vitis vinifera originated in southern Europe
Europe

Europe is, conventionally, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural , the Caspian Sea, and by the Caucasus Mountains to the southeast....
 and southwestern Asia. The species occur in widely different geographical areas and show a great diversity of form. However they are sufficiently closely related to allow easy interbreeding and the resultant interspecific hybrids are invariably fertile and vigorous. Thus the concept of a species is less well defined and more likely represents the identification of different ecotypes of Vitis that have evolved in distinct geographical and environmental circumstances.

The exact number of species is not certain, with species in Asia
Asia

Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent. It covers 8.6% of the Earth's total surface area and, with over 4 billion people, it contains more than 60% of the world's current human population....
 in particular being poorly defined. Estimates range from 40 to more than 60. Some of the more notable include:

  • Vitis vinifera
    Vitis vinifera

    For the town in Australia, see Vinifera, VictoriaVitis vinifera is a species of Vitis, native to the Mediterranean Basin, central Europe, and southwestern Asia, from Morocco and Spain north to southern Germany and east to northern Iran....
    , the European grapevine. Native to the Mediterranean and Central Asia.
  • Vitis labrusca
    Vitis labrusca

    Vitis labrusca is a species of grape native to the eastern United States. It is the source of many grape cultivars, including Concord grapes....
    , the Fox grapevine, sometimes used for wine. Native to the Eastern United States
    Eastern United States

    The Eastern Half of The United States, the American East, or simply the East is traditionally defined as the states east of the Mississippi River....
     and Canada
    Canada

    Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
    .
  • Vitis riparia
    Vitis riparia

    Vitis riparia Michx, also commonly known as River Bank Grape or Frost Grape, is a native North America climbing or trailing vine, widely distributed from Quebec to Texas, and Montana to New England....
    , the Riverbank Grapevine, sometimes used for winemaking and for jam. Native to the entire Eastern U.S. and north to Quebec
    Quebec

    Quebec , in French language, Qu?bec , is a Provinces and territories of Canada in the Central Canada and Eastern Canada regions of Canada....
    .
  • Vitis aestivalis
    Vitis aestivalis

    Vitis aestivalis is a species of Vitis native to eastern North America from southern Ontario east to Vermont, west to Oklahoma, and south to Florida and Texas....
    , the Summer Grape, native to the Eastern United States
    Eastern United States

    The Eastern Half of The United States, the American East, or simply the East is traditionally defined as the states east of the Mississippi River....
    , especially the Southeastern United States
    Southeastern United States

    The US Southeast is the eastern portion of the Southern United States, but the Census Bureau does not provide a standard definition of a "Southeast" region of the United States, and organizations that need to subdivide the US are free to define a "Southeast" region to fit their needs....
    .
  • Vitis rotundifolia (syn. Muscadinia rotundifolia), the Muscadine
    Muscadine

    Muscadines are a Vitis species native to the present-day southeastern United States that has been extensively cultivated since the 16th Century....
    , used for jams and wine. Native to the Southeastern United States
    Southeastern United States

    The US Southeast is the eastern portion of the Southern United States, but the Census Bureau does not provide a standard definition of a "Southeast" region of the United States, and organizations that need to subdivide the US are free to define a "Southeast" region to fit their needs....
     from Delaware
    Delaware

    Delaware is a U.S. state located on the East Coast of the United States in the Mid-Atlantic States region of the United States. The state takes its name from Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr, a British nobleman and Virginia's first colonial governor, after whom Cape Henlopen was originally named....
     to the Gulf of Mexico
    Gulf of Mexico

    The Gulf of Mexico is the ninth largest body of water in the world. Considered a smaller part of the Atlantic Ocean, it is an oceanic basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba....
    .
  • Vitis coignetiae Crimson Glory Vine, a species from East Asia grown as an ornamental plant
    Ornamental plant

    Ornamental plants are typically grown in the flower garden or as house plants. Most commonly they are grown for the display of their flowers. Other common ornamental features include leaves, scent, fruit, Plant stem and bark....
     for its crimson autumn foliage.
  • Vitis amurensis
    Vitis amurensis

    The amur grape , is a species of grape native to the Asian continent. Its name comes from the Amur Valley in Russia and China. It's very resistant to frost, but is not tolerant to drought....
    , native to the Asian continent, including parts of Siberia and China.
  • Vitis vulpina, the Frost Grape, native to the Eastern United States
    Eastern United States

    The Eastern Half of The United States, the American East, or simply the East is traditionally defined as the states east of the Mississippi River....
    , from southeastern New York to Florida, and west to Illinois, eastern Kansas, and Texas.


There are many cultivars
List of grape varieties

This is a list of varieties of cultivated grapes, whether used for wine, or eating as a Table grape, fresh or dried .The term "grape varieties" actually refers to cultivars rather than variety according to the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants, because they are propagated by cuttings and may have unstable reproductive prop...
 of grapevines; most are cultivars of V. vinifera.

Hybrid grapes also exist, and these are primarily crosses between V. vinifera and one or more of V. labrusca, V. riparia or V. aestivalis. Hybrids tend to be less susceptible to frost and disease (notably phylloxera
Phylloxera

Grape phylloxera , commonly just called Phylloxera, is a pest of commercial grapevines worldwide, originally native to eastern North America....
), but wine from some hybrids may have a little of the characteristic "foxy" taste of V. labrusca.

Commercial distribution

According to the "Food and Agriculture Organization" (FAO), 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
  • Australia 1,642 kmē
  • Lebanon 1,221 kmē


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

Pests and diseases

Phylloxera
Phylloxera

Grape phylloxera , commonly just called Phylloxera, is a pest of commercial grapevines worldwide, originally native to eastern North America....
 is an American root aphid that devastated V. vinifera vineyards in Europe when accidentally introduced in the late 19th century. Attempts were made to breed in resistance from American species, but many winemakers didn't like the unusual flavour profile of the hybrid vines. Fortunately, V. vinifera grafts readily onto rootstocks of the American species, and most commercial production of grapes now relies on such grafts.

The Black vine weevil
Black vine weevil

The black vine weevil, Otiorhynchus sulcatus, is native to Europe, but common in North America as well. This weevil is a pest of many garden plants, causing the most damage on evergreen trees and shrubs....
 is another root pest.

Grapevines are used as food plants by the larva
Larva

A larva is a young form of animal with indirect developmental biology, going through or undergoing metamorphosis .The larva can look completely different from the adult form, for example, a caterpillar differs from a butterfly....
e of some Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera

Lepidoptera is an order of insect that includes moths and butterfly. It is one of the most speciose orders in the class Insecta, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterfly, skipper , and Hedylidae....
 species - see list of Lepidoptera that feed on grapevines.

See also

  • Annual growth cycle of grapevines
    Annual growth cycle of grapevines

    The annual growth cycle of vitis vinifera is the process that takes place in the vineyard each year, beginning with bud break in the spring and culminating in Deciduous#Botany in autumn followed by winter dormancy....
  • Canopy (vine)
    Canopy (vine)

    The canopy of a grapevine includes the parts of the vine visible above ground-the trunk, cordon, stems, leaves, and grape. Canopy management of the canopy is an important viticultural task due to its affect on grape yield s, quality, vigour and the prevention of various grape diseases and fungus....
  • Grape
    Grape

    File:Table grapes on white.jpgA grape is the non-Climacteric #In_botany fruit that grows on the Perennial plant and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis....
  • Grape leaves
    Grape leaves

    File:Grapevineleaf2500ppx.jpgVitis Leaf are used in the cuisines of a number of cultures, including Greek cuisine, Turkish cuisine, Arab cuisine, and Romanian cuisine....