Grape Botanical Name: Vitis vinifera (Vitaceae)
General Description/History: - Small berry like fruit - Thin edible skin - Translucent green or red flesh - 1 - 2 seeds or seedless Grapes grow on a vine of vigorous growth that is trained onto a trellis system. Leaves are bright green and heart shaped. Tendrils, which grow from the stem, enable the vine to climb. Choose bunches of grapes that are plump, firm, well coloured and are firmly attached to a healthy, green stem. Apart from obvious physical damage and disease, external quality is best assessed by the condition of the stems. Dry, brown, shrivelled stems indicate undesirable aging, whereas green fresh-looking stems are a sign of good quality. While grapes are most commonly eaten fresh, they are an interesting and refreshing addition to cheese platters, fruit salads, or set in jelly. Try in savoury salads such as waldorf, coleslaw or chicken salad. Use to decorate cakes, Pavlovas, cheesecakes and fruit flans. Chocolate coated or frosted grapes, or grapes marinated in brandy or Grand Marnier is ideal for that special dinner party. During our hot summer weather, try freezing small bunches and eating them frozen like miniature iceblocks - you’ll find it very refreshing. Grapes can also be used in cooked desserts such as a grape brulee` or in a bread and butter pudding. Grapes, as with other deciduous fruits, grow best following a cold winter rest period, good rainfall during the spring and a warm to hot, relatively dry summer. They are generally not suited to humid summers, owing to susceptibility to certain fungal diseases and insect pests that flourish in damp conditions. On the other hand, the wide variety of specialised cultivars now being produced means that grapes can be grown under a wide range of climatic conditions. Grapes can be cultivated in a number of soil types, fertility not being as important as soil structure. Sandy or gravelly clay loams are most desired. Soil that will both drain well yet hold moisture is important. Grapevines are propagated commercially mainly by cuttings, but also by buds or grafts. Vines grown from seeds differ markedly so propagation in this manner is seldom used. The grape is a member of the vine family. The common grapevine, Vitis vinifera, is believed to be a native of Asia Minor in the region around the Caspian Sea. Seeds of the grape were found in the remains of the Swiss Lake dwellings of the Bronze Age. Details of grape growing figure in the mosaics of the Fourth Dynasty of Egypt (2400 B.C.) and earlier. Before 600 B.C., the Phoenicians probably carried wine varieties to Greece, thence to Rome and on to southern France. No later than 2nd century A.D., the Romans took the vine to Germany and perhaps later to England. Although the first European visitors to North America found native grapes flourishing, the fruit was poor compared to the cultivated European grapes. Thus, the settlers imported superior European vines. Grapes were first introduced to Australia in 1788. Captain Arthur Phillip, founder of the colony of New South Wales, undertook as one of his first ventures in agriculture, the planting of a small vineyard with cuttings from South America and South Africa.
Varieties: Please click pictures to see seasonality
Calmeria	Ohanez	Golden Globe
Zante	Cardinal	Muscat
Waltham Cross	Purple Cornichon	Thompson Seedless
Flame Seedless	Ruby Seedless	Autumn Royal
Black America	Sultana	Maroo
Crimson	Menindee	Red Globe
Black Muscat
Growing Areas: QLD - Chinchilla, Queensland, Rockhampton, Roma, South East St George, Stanthorpe NSW - Bourke, Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area, Sunraysia VIC - Mid Murray Districts, Sunraysia SA - Riverland WA - Carnarvon South West, Swan Valley TAS - North East, South East, Tamar Valley NT - Ti Tree
Preparation Videos: Fruit Platter
Nutritional Value: Grapes are an excellent source of vitamin C and dietary fibre. Grapes contain some vitamin B6 and potassium. 256kJ/100g.
Storage/Handling: 0°C and 90-100% relative humidity. Consumer Storage: Store in the refrigerator in an airtight plastic container.
Recipes:
Honey Baked Apples	Ricotta Cheese Platter with Fruits and Walnuts	Banana, Carrot and Sultana Loaf
Winter Fruit Cup	Grape Studded Jelly	Fruity Dippers with Choc Fudge Sauce
Fruity Freezies
Interesting Facts and Myths? Grape growing is the largest food industry in the world. There are more than 60 species and 8,000 varieties of grapes, and they can all be used to make juice and/or wine. There are about 10 million hectares of grapes worldwide. The world production of grapes is over 72 million tons. It takes four kilos of fresh grapes to produce one kilo of raisins.