grape

Grape refers to the fruit produced by vines of the genus Vitis. The most widely cultivated species for wine, table grapes, and raisins is Vitis vinifera. Other Vitis species, such as Vitis labrusca and Vitis rotundifolia (muscadine), are grown in some regions for juice, fresh fruit, or breeding material.

Grape vines are deciduous climbing plants that typically require trellises or supports. Grapes ripen in late summer to early autumn in temperate climates. The fruit berries can be green, red, purple, or black, with or without seeds depending on the cultivar. Seedless varieties are common and are produced through selective breeding and seed development control. Harvest timing depends on sugar levels, acidity, and flavor.

Grapes are eaten fresh or dried as raisins. They are processed into juice, must, and wine, as well as brandy and grape seed oil. By-products such as pomace are used in animal feed and as a source for enology and other products. The skins and seeds contribute polyphenols and other compounds with health-related interest, though effects vary by variety and processing.

Raw grapes are mostly water and sugars, with small amounts of vitamins C and K, potassium, and dietary fiber. They contain polyphenols, including resveratrol in some varieties, with content influenced by cultivar and processing.

Domestication likely occurred in the Near East or the Caucasus, with long-standing cultivation in Europe and the Mediterranean. Today grapes are grown in temperate regions worldwide, with major producers including Italy, France, Spain, the United States, China, and Turkey. Practices such as grafting onto resistant rootstocks helped control phylloxera in the 19th century.