What is a Wine Grape?

Have you ever wondered why wine has a taste like it does? It begins with the grape. To understand the flavor of wine we need to understand the grape.

Grapes

Grapes are in essence the berry fruit of the grapevine plant. They are vinified and have the capability to produce wine naturally. It has been theorized that over 5,000 years ago someone discovered a naturally created wine that actually tasted good. That event prompted grape cultivation, a long with winemaking techniques to embellish nature´s process. Today, wine production has become more sophisticated, and the wine has become much better.

Families of Grapes

There are literally thousands of different kinds of grapes. The vast majority of all grapes used to make wines are varieties of one single species, Vitis Vinifera which is prevalent in Europe, and Central Asia, but has been planted all over the world. Other Vitis species that produce grapes suitable for wine include Vitis Labrusca, Vitis, Riparia, and Vitis Rotundifolia all of which are native to Canada and the eastern United States.

As grapes go, the table grape bought at the market is harvested when the sugar level is low. This is apposed to the wine grape, which is harvested when the sugar level is much higher. This allows the yeast to amble the sugar, resulting in the alcohol.

Both red and white grapes have yellow-gray pulp layers inside, so both could create a white wine if desired. The color of a wine comes from contact with the skins. A wine can be lighter or darker by giving more or less skin contact to the wine, as well as from the skin itself being thin or thick. Red grape skins contain tannins which give the wine the ability to age.

Parts of a Grape

Pedicel	The thick stalk, which is how an individual grape is held onto a bunch of grapes. The stalk provides the grape with its nutrients.
Skin (exocarp)	The skin of a grape is what gives it its color. It can range from blue-purple on a red grape to pale yellow on a white grape. It protects the grape from injury, and during winemaking, it gives the grape its color characteristic. Grape skins have tannins and potassium in them, as well as various flavor components.
Seed (embryo and endosperm)	The grape seed is what would make a new grapevine if it were allowed to grow. The vast majority of grapevines come from cuttings and seeds of old grapevines. In winemaking the grape seeds are discarded a long with other parts of the grape when the wine is done fermenting; but they do have value. They contain tannins which can add quality to the wine.
Flesh or Pulp	The soft, juicy part of the grape is what really makes the wine. The pulp is typically yellow-gray in color, and provides the ultimate flavor source to make wine.

Contributor: WineDefinitions Staff Writer

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