A staple of human history, wine has been consumed as an alcoholic beverage for thousands of years. To help identify the different varieties of grapes, winemakers use various processes that help them be sure they are growing the right grape for their wine.
Identification
Grapevines are woody plants that bear bunches of grapes as fruit. The grapes can be small or large, seedless or seeded, and flavors range from bitter and tart to sweet and fruity.
History
The first wine grape vineyards were planted in Greece. Evidence of the first crushed grapes were found at archaeological sites dating back as far as 4500 B.C.
Types
Common types of grapes used in winemaking and cooking include Cabernet Sauvignon, Chenin Blanc, Merlot, Gewurztraminer, Muscat, Zinfandel, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir.
Visual Identification
Identifying grapevines by sight is difficult and unreliable. Grapevines typically are identified by the properties of their leaves, including shape, color, size, cluster and fuzziness. After grapes are removed from the vine or the vine loses its leaves, it becomes difficult to identify a grapevine's exact variety. This difficulty has led to controversy in identifying grapes by sight, as some winemakers have mislabeled their wine grapes.
Laboratory Identification
Now scientists can use D.N.A. to identify different grape vines. D.N.A. stands for deoxyriboneucleic acid, a compound that contains the codes for life in each vine.
According to a 2009 study by Leiden University, technology is being developed that will help identify grapevines by their metabolic fingerprint.
Regions
Some grapevines are identified by the region in which they are grown. For example, the grape named Black Corinth when grown anywhere else in the world becomes the Champagne grape when it is grown in the Champagne region of France.
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