Although it originated in the Middle East, it has spread all over the world. Thanks to this plant, it is possible to enjoy countless varieties of wine. In addition to wine, grape juices, and jams are also produced, and oil is pressed from their seeds. Grapes can also be consumed in dried form - raisins.
In addition to their taste, they are also very healthy, and some of their ingredients have been proven to reduce the risk of cancer.
It is a plant from the vine family, which includes 910 species divided into 14 genera.
It was cultivated in southern Europe in ancient times.
Depending on the species or variety, a single cluster may contain from 15 to 300 fruits.
To grow upwards, it attaches itself to supports using tendrils.
A single panicle may be 10 to 20 cm long. The flower crown of the vine is composed of 5 yellow-green petals, 1.5 mm long and lanceolate in shape.
The average fruit has a diameter of 2 cm and comes in many colors. The fruit may be white, green, pink, red, or almost black. The fruit contains 2 to 4 pear-shaped seeds with a maximum length of 6 mm.
81% of the fruit is water, 18% carbohydrates, 1% protein and less than 0.2% fat. 100 grams of grapes provide 69 kcal of energy.
They contain the most vitamins K, for 100 g it is 14% of the daily recommended dose, B6 (7% of the recommended dose), B1 and B2 (6% of the recommended dose).
The separated seeds are pressed to obtain a greenish oil. Most of it is produced in the Mediterranean basin.
Almost 70% of grape seed oil is linoleic acid, which has a beneficial effect on metabolism and can lower blood sugar levels. 15% of the oil is oleic acid, which can lower cholesterol levels, although research to confirm its effect has not been completed yet.
The ellagic acid contained in it supports the immune system and is an antioxidant. Myricetin lowers LDL cholesterol by increasing its absorption by white blood cells and reduces the risk of prostate and pancreatic cancer. Quercetin has anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory effects. A very high concentration of these substances was observed in the fruits of Vitis rotundifolia, a grape grown mainly in the US.
In turn, in what is now Georgia finds have been discovered proving wine production in this region 8000 years ago.
They are much more pleasant to consume, and since the grapes are propagated vegetatively by pruning the vine, the lack of seeds is not a problem in cultivation.
In this form, it ends up on store shelves or is fermented to produce wine, brandy, or wine vinegar.
France, Italy, and Turkey are in second place, and the United States is in third place.
Both fungi and aphids caused huge losses in crops. It was only by chance that it was discovered that copper compounds are excellent fungicides and the blight was brought under control.
Eating these fruits by a dog can cause acute kidney damage and, consequently, anuria, which can lead to death.
As a result of the research, it turned out that vines contain more than twice as many genes involved in the production of essential oils and fragrance substances than other plants whose genomes were sequenced. Grapevine was the fourth plant to have its genome sequenced, the previous ones being radish, poplar, and rice.