Variety: Vitis vinifera
The Vitis Vinifera: the common vine
Also known as the European vine, it is the most widespread in the world. It was cultivated in Mesopotamia as early as 4,000 BC and then spread as a cultivated plant first in the Mediterranean region and then throughout Europe.
Italy was the country in which Vitis Vinifera developed further in cultivation. This ancient grape variety is the most important for the typical characteristics of the grapes. There are also two subspecies of this vine, Vitis Vinifera Silvestris, which has been growing wild for thousands of years, and Vitis Vinifera Sativa, which is the most widely cultivated.
There are other types of grape varieties, but only Vitis Vinifera produces the best wines in the world. There are thousands of grape varieties worldwide, all of them originating from this vine and all of them have their origin in Europe. One of the biggest flaws of this plant is that it is very susceptible to fungal diseases and parasites. In the late 19th century, vines all over Europe fell victim to phylloxera, wine production dropped for many years and everything had to be cultivated anew. Phylloxera was introduced with the American vine.
The so-called American vines, except for a few exceptions, do not have any special quality grapes, but are very robust and immune to the vine diseases that otherwise affect Vitis Vinifera. In particular, they are immune to phylloxera, downy mildew and mould. For this reason, the American Vitis was also introduced in Europe and used as a base for the Vitis Vinifera or the American and European Vitis were crossed. Vitis Vinifera is grown in all wine regions of the world. In addition to wine production, table grapes and raisins, the European vine is also used for medicinal purposes. European healers used the juice of the vine to cure diseases of the eyes and skin. Other sources say that the leaves were used to stop bleeding, pain and inflammation of various kinds. The unripe grapes were used to treat sore throats, while raisins were used against constipation and to quench thirst. In modern times more and more quality grapes were cultivated without seeds, mainly for fresh consumption, but it was also discovered that grape seeds have many healing properties.