Missouri State University - Mountain Grove

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Grapevine Biotechnology 

Grape and Wine History

Grapevine’s connections to human history extend well beyond Mediterranean and European agronomy and cultures. There is little doubt that grape culture originated in the Near East and it reached economic prominence in the ancient Mediterranean and Medieval civilizations. It is little known, however, that grape cultivation also spread along the Silk Road eastward and it reached China as early as during the Han dynasty. The Chinese word for grape “putao” derives from the plant’s nearly identical Persian name. Grape cultivation also flourished in the Muslim cultures of Central Asia where numerous table and raisin varieties were developed. Wild grapes were collected and consumed by Native Americans as evidenced by grape seed remnants which are nearly ubiquitous at ancient dwelling sites in North America (Neal Lopinot, personal communications). There is also evidence that grapes were not the only used for wine making and consumption, but also for medicinal purposes. For example, several ointments prescribed by Hippocrates contained the juice of unripe grape berries.

Pecs

Research Institure for Viticulture and Enology at Pecs, Hungary