Also called European grape, this deciduous woody vine is native to the riversides and damp woods in the Mediterranean region including central Europe, southwestern Asia, and north Africa. It is a member of the Vitaceae plant family that also includes Virginia creeper. The first written record of grapes and wine appear in the Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh from the 3rd millennium BC and hieroglyphics indicate that wine was known to the priests, pharaoh and state official of ancient Egypt. The many Bible references to grapes, wine, and vineyards suggest that the both wild and cultivated grapes were common in Palestine and that the people made wine. By the 6th century BC the grape had arrived in Greece and by 100 BC it reached the rest of Europe. The ancient Roman naturalist, Pliny the Elder (died 79 AD) writes extensively about the grape and wine making and notes that the number of different varieties of grape are “innumerable”. He comments specifically that the wines of Pompeii reach “their full perfection in ten years” but are prone to cause headaches that can last more than 24 hours. Pliny the Elder also tells us that wine was extensively used with other common ingredients such as cucumber, radishes, and cabbage to treat a huge range of ailments from coughs, loose teeth and lower backache to asthma, gout, and epilepsy. Iconographic evidence shows grapes in Dionysian rites, Bacchus and Vesuvius clad in grapevines in the lararium of the House of the Centenary, and cupids making wine in the the frescoes from various establishments. The grapes are sometimes so well rendered that the variety can be identified on the basis of the leaves, form of the cluster, and size and color of the fruits themselves. Archeological finds of vineyards, wine presses, dolia, amphorae, and wine cellars as well as carbonized wood and bunches of grapes in the Vesuvian area confirm the extensive cultivation of the grape and wine making in the ancient city.
The vines can grow 40-60′ long and have branched tendrils, flaky bark and heart-shaped palmate leaves with 3-7 lobes. The leaves are 5-9″ across and have coarsely toothed margins. Dense panicles of small greenish flowers appear in spring and give way to berries (known as grapes) that ripen in late summer to early fall. Today, there are between 5,000 and 10,000 varieties of grapes, grown mostly for wine and food.
Size: 40-60′ long
Light: Full sun
Soil: Fertile to lean, medium moist, well-drained but tolerates less if soil is well-drained; does poorly in hot humid conditions.
USDA Hardiness: Zones 6-10