🌿 Vitis vinifera

Vitis vinifera is the Latin name of the European grape species from which almost all the world's wine is made. This vine has been grown for thousands of years. The cultivated vine is thought to descend from the wild forest grape that grows along rivers and in forests from Europe to the Caucasus and the Near East.

The species holds thousands of varieties, from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir to Cabernet Sauvignon and Riesling. Varieties differ in colour, aroma, ripening time and the climate they need. Several varieties also have table forms, eaten fresh or dried into raisins.

The species has a weakness: the roots of the European vine are defenceless against phylloxera, a tiny aphid that came from America in the 19th century. So most vines today are grafted onto rootstocks of American species. Crosses with American vines also produced hybrids such as Seibel and Delaware, which stand in the pedigree of many varieties. They resist disease better but taste different from the classic varieties.