Vitis vinifera

From Freepedia

Vitis vinifera

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Vitales
Family:	Vitaceae
Genus:	Vitis
Species:	vinifera

Binomial name

Vitis vinifera
Marsh.

For thousands of years, the fruit and plant of Vitis vinifera, the European grapevine, have been harvested for both medicinal and nutritional value; its history is intimately entwined with the history of wine.

History

Vinifera grapes were originally native to Southwest Asia somewhere near the Caspian Sea in historic Armenia. Grape cultivation is also believed to have begun here. They were cultivated in other parts of the Old World in pre-historic or early historic times.

They followed European colonies around the world, coming to North America around the 1600's, and to Africa, South America and Australia. In North America it hybridized with species native to that region. Some of these were intentional hybrids created to combat phylloxera, an insect pest which affected vinifera grapes to a much greater extent than North American ones. Later North American rootstocks became widely used to graft true vinifera varieties.

In North American, pure vitis vinifera grapes were limited mostly to the relatively mild West Coast, including California. But due to the research of Konstantin Frank, vitis vinifera is now widely grown even in the harsher climate of New York State.

The plant has large, jagged leaves, and its stem bark tends to peel. The grapes may be green, red, or purple.

Uses

Use of grapes goes back at least 6,000 years ago when Mesopotamians and Ancient Egyptians had farming plans for the vines [1]. Greek philosophers praised the healing powers of grapes both whole and in the form of wine. Grape cultivation and wine making in China took place before the Han Dynasty in 206 BC [2].

Using the sap of grapevines, European folk healers cured skin and eye diseases. Another historical use include the leaves being used to stop bleeding, pain and inflammation of hemorrhoids. For treating sore throats unripe grapes were used, raisins were given as treatments for consumption (tuberculosis), constipation and thirst. For the treatment of cancer, cholera, smallpox, nausea, skin and eye infections as well as kidney and liver diseases, ripe grapes were used.

Seedless grape varieties were developed to appeal to fickle consumers, but researchers are now discovering that many of the healthful properties of grapes may actually come from the seeds themselves.

Modern research on resveratrol, a chemical found in grape skins, as a tool against cardiovascular disease, cancer and aging, has begun to back up some of the assertions of the folk healers. The research says, "Resveratol has been shown to modulate the metabolism of lipids, and to inhibit the oxidation of low-density lipoproteins and the aggregation of platelets." [3] Grape seed oil, from the crushed seeds is used for its perceived wide range of health benefits.

Grapevine leaves are used filled with minced beef, rice and onions in the making of Balkan traditional Dolma.

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