Grape

A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus Vitis.

The cultivation of grapes began approximately 8,000 years ago, and the fruit has been used as human food throughout its history.

Eaten fresh or in dried form (as raisins, currants and sultanas), grapes also hold cultural significance in many parts of the world, particularly for their role in winemaking.

[3][4] Yeast, one of the earliest domesticated microorganisms, occurs naturally on the skins of grapes, leading to the discovery of alcoholic drinks such as wine.

The earliest archeological evidence for a dominant position of wine-making in human culture dates from 8,000 years ago in Georgia.

In 2005, a team of archaeologists concluded that Chalcolithic wine jars discovered in Cyprus in the 1930s dated back to 3500 BC, making them the oldest of their kind in the world.

[13] Grapes are a type of fruit that grow in clusters of 15 to 300 and can be crimson, black, dark blue, yellow, green, orange, and pink.

Minor amounts of fruit and wine come from American and Asian species such as: According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), 75,866 square kilometers of the world are dedicated to grapes.

[21] While almost all of them belong to the same species, Vitis vinifera, table and wine grapes have significant differences, brought about through selective breeding.

It is an issue for breeders, who must either use a seeded variety as the female parent or rescue embryos early in development using tissue culture techniques.

In the UK, three different varieties are recognized, forcing the EU to use the term "dried vine fruit" in official documents.

In California, Sultana (known there as Thompson Seedless) grapes are sometimes diverted from the raisin or table market to produce white juice.

It is produced by crushing unripened grapes, collecting and salting the juice, simmering it to remove foam, and then storing it with a layer of olive oil to prevent contamination and oxidation.

[32] Phenolic content of grape skin varies with cultivar, soil composition, climate, geographic origin, and cultivation practices or exposure to diseases, such as fungal infections.

[37][38][39] Resveratrol, a stilbene compound, is found in widely varying amounts among grape varieties, primarily in their skins and seeds.

[41] Comparing diets among Western countries, researchers have discovered that, although French people tend to eat higher levels of animal fat, the incidence of heart disease remains low in France.

This phenomenon has been termed the French paradox and is thought to occur due to the protective benefits of regularly consuming red wine, among other dietary practices.

[48] Christians have traditionally used wine during worship services as a means of remembering the blood of Jesus Christ which was shed for the remission of sins.

Christians who oppose the partaking of alcoholic beverages sometimes use grape juice as the "cup" or "wine" in the Lord's Supper.

[49] The Catholic Church continues to use wine in the celebration of the Eucharist because it is part of the tradition passed down through the ages starting with Jesus Christ at the Last Supper, where Catholics believe the consecrated bread and wine become the body and blood of Jesus Christ, a dogma known as transubstantiation.

[50] Wine is used (not grape juice) both due to its strong Scriptural roots, and also to follow the tradition set by the early Christian Church.