Grapes

Grapes have been cultivated at least since egyptian times: some scholars believe that grapes were grown in ancient Greece, as well as in Rome, both for eating and winemaking purposes. Grape growing has since spread to Europe, North Africa and finally to the United States.

Literary sources state that the first cultivated grapes have been grown in California by the Spanish Franciscan Friars, who made wine for Californian Missions.

According to historians, the first California grape grower was William Wolfskill, who grew grapes in the Los Angeles area. Several hundred different grape cultivars were later bred, mixing American and European varieties (some for winemaking, especially the European varietis, and others for eating purposes).

Three different cultivars, showing purple, white and red grapes

At this time, several grape cultivars were also used to make raisins, and grape recipes became very common in american cuisine.

California maintained its status as the most important grape-producing American region to this day, producing as much as 98% of all grapes grown in the USA (according to the California Table Grape Commission).

Lately, grapes have been in the spotlight because of an effect called the French paradox: nutritionists have been wondering why Frenchmen have such a long expected lifespan, despite a diet very high in saturated fats (that usually leads subjects to developing heart disease in the long term).

The cardioprotective effect has been linked to consumption of red wine, which contains what is believed to be the main cardioprotective component of grapes: resveratrol.

But one shouldn't think of resveratrol as the only health-promoting component in grapes: there are many other known and unknown components that contribute to your health, such as phytonutrients, anthocyanins, catechins and phenols: all of them have been covered in our extensive article about the health benefits of grapes.

A lot of research has appeared, since the eighties, studying the effects of other parts of grapes, such as seeds and oil extracted from them: it appears grape oil contains several proanthocyanidins, polyphenols and tannins, as well as vegetable polyunsaturated fatty acids. All of these compounds contribute to several proven health benefits such as a reduced risk of developing cancer, lower risks of cardiovascular disease and any other diseases linked to oxidative stress.