🌿 Grapevine

The grapevine is a perennial climbing plant on which grapes grow. For wine the species used is mostly Vitis vinifera, the European vine. Other species, such as Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rupestris, Vitis berlandieri and Vitis amurensis, are used in breeding, for rootstocks and in local wines. Hybrid grapes come from crossing different species.

A vine lives for decades. Each year it goes through one cycle: it rests in winter, buds wake in spring, shoots grow and flowers bloom in summer, and clusters ripen in autumn. In summer the vine needs warmth and light, in winter rest. Its roots go deep and take water and minerals. Its leaves make sugar in the light.

Grapes do not grow without support, so vines are tied to trellises. Pruning in winter regulates the crop. In Georgia the vine also has symbolic meaning: the cross of Saint Nino is made of vine. All the world's wines begin with this plant, so understanding the vine helps to understand wine.