History Of Grapevines

first documentation of vine that grows in South America was discovered in the investigation diary of navigator Giovanni de Verazzano, which reported that in 1504 a large "white grape" growing strongly Cape Fear, North Carolina. English explorer of the New World, Sir Walter Raleigh, confirmed in a letter to Arthur Barlowe in 1585, the discovery of white grapes (scuppernong), when he landed in coastal North Carolina.

1500-an ancient discovery of native grapevines growing in America was followed by numerous Spanish settlements along the coast of the United States, where he presented the world of old vines planted by the Indians of vines. This resulted in natural crosses interplanting hybrid vines, blending features of both types. French navigators of the research

territory and neighboring countries in Louisiana and were planting European grape varieties from the south of France, which also hybridized with the native American grape. English settlers founded a colony in 1733 in Savannah, Georgia and Fort Frederica, on Saint Simon's Island, Georgia, under General James Oglethorpe, who was the first governor in Georgia. These English colonies brought in seeds of grapes from Europe that were planted and grown in small farm vineyards. Those seedlings mixed with native vines that grew in the woods nearby, and the interference has resulted in new grape hybrids that have been spreading the Indians and colonists everywhere. It is believed that these hybrids produced some selections, such as Concord, Niagara, Catawba, and others who have been identified as a naturally growing in the forest by the great American explorer William Bartram, in his book, Travels, as Vitis labrusca by botanists today.

Henry Laurens, who served as president of American Continental Congress after the year 1755, lived near Charleston, South Carolina, and brought olives, lime, everbearing strawberries, ginger, red raspberry, grape and blue in a colony are grown for food. Henry Laurens was a good friend of John and William Bartram, the famous father and son, botanist explorers, and author of books, travel, the 1773rd From the south of France, Henry Laurens introduced "apples, pears, plums, white grapes chasselas (wine), which bore abundantly." Laurens claimed that he had raised the olive fruit is pickled and explained was "equal to those that export ."

William Bartram wrote in his book of botanical, Travel, in 1773, who left Augusta on the way to Savannah, Georgia, and viewed plantation growing grapes. "Vitis vinifera, for wine, Vitis corinthiaca for electricity, Vitis allobrogia, the raisins, olives, figs, Morus (mulberry), for feeding silkworms, Citrus aurantium, Citrus limon, Citrus verrucosa, the great sweet scented lemon."

When crossing the Saint John's River in Eastern Florida, Bartram wrote: "The vines in this place were stunning to watch." He wrote that the grapes are "small and ill tasted" but the strength of most wines can be imagined to pull giant mighty trees down to earth, but actually served to uphold the trees of 12 inches wide vines twined up the trees and then "spread along their limbs, from tree to tree through the forest. "In Alabama, Bartram wrote that the trees were entwined with grape vines (Vitis campestris) of individual species, clusters (racemes) of fruit were very large, such as grapes, which make them, though still green, not full grown, but when mature they were different colors, and their juice sweet and rich. "Bartram wrote that the Indians gathered, dried, and store them (raisins), as well as provisions.

Bartram identified on page 327 of travel, the European grape, Vitis vinifera,

"What ramble and spread themselves over the shrubs and low trees in these situations, the Indians assured Bart that the grapes would" produce a result provide an excellent juice, the grapes are different colors when ripe, the amount and the size of the European grape vine ".

This grape that Bartram identified as European grape, Vitis vinifera, could very well have been a hybrid cross with native American vines.

Due to the introduction of European grapevines into America in the 1500s, there was enough time for the mixing of species, so that taxonomists today have great difficulty in identifying positive vines growing in the forest as a true native. There is a high probability that wild grapevines contain genetic components of European heritage

Prince Nursery of Flushing, New York was founded as the first American Nursery in 1737 and Robert Prince advertised "Lisbon and Madeira grapevines for sale, Vitis vinifera." It is interesting to note reports that Prince was unsuccessful in trying to grow grapes from the vine (EU) because of "his inability to control a deadly fungus." It was probably thought that the problem is the prince of fungi, but most likely the problem was a pest, phylloxera, which was a small aphid-like creature that ate the roots of European grapevines, Vitis vinifera, and once American grapevines were exported to Europe, Most vineyards growing there were destroyed.

George Washington built Mount Vernon as his home in Virginia in 1754, where he planted extensive orchards and vineyards from which the grapes are harvested and dried into raisins. They were the "Connecting to the dinner table, " George Washington.

Thomas Jefferson planted extensive European grapevines at his vineyard at Monticello in Virginia, in 1807, but like many other gardeners and growers, he failed, when all the vines died of phylloxera, but he has replaced those wines with domestic American alternative lineages, scuppernong, Vitis rotundifolia.

Perhaps no other group of plants is known better than the tribes of the grape plant. the grape is known more for his ability to turn into wine, but for its desirability as table grapes or grape desert. Some grapes contain lots of sugar inside the skin, they will not ferment in the vine after ripening, but will turn into raisins. unique aesthetic qualities of the grapes is the capacity to produce juice. juice can be used fresh or fermented into famous vines with distinctive aromas and flavors of the increase in quality with aging, some lasting for centuries. Roman wine makers put floating olive oil in wine bottles to prevent the wine from oxidation and fermentation continues in the vinegar.

Luther Burbank, the great American hybridizer in 8 volumes of fruit to improve, from grapes selected by hybridizing over 100,000 species of American grapes with European grapes and other species that are imported from different countries. Burbank's inventive work on the vines showed that the characteristics of grape production, taste, and many other factors can show great variations, depending on climate conditions, and changes in the soil. He imported muscat grape, Vitis rotundifolia, the Southeast United States where they flourished, but these were not satisfactory when growers planted vines in California.

Burbank spent considerable effort in hybridizing American grape species Tokay grapes from Hungary and the ancient Syrian grapevines of the Bible. Burbank is also imported white Thompson seedless grapevines in 1880 in California interbreed with American vines. He discovered that it is extremely productive, bright, strong-growing, yellowish white grape "that grew and vineyards in California ."

It is clear that historically the grapes were found growing in America, European explorers, who brought European grapevines and grape seeds with them, who were considered superior to the native American grape. European wine grape was interbred for centuries with certain genetic weaknesses arise when an American original vines were introduced in Europe, a European wine facing total extinction until he learned that the European wine could be saved were grafted on top of American grapevine root stocks . genetic characteristics of European grapevines were hybridized naturally when planted along side American native grapevines into new commercial grape selections. American plant breeders have achieved monumental successes in producing new grapes that are specifically used as juice grapes, raisin grapes, wine grapes, table grapes, and pick-your-own selections.