Those who step into the world of wine will encounter the expression 'vitis vinifera' somewhere in their wine journey. Vitis vinifera is the scientific name of the wine grape vine to which we owe our common pleasure, wine. All the wine grape varieties you can think of consist of thousands of varieties of this one type of family. When faced with such a wide portfolio, one cannot help but think that there will be a variety other than vitis vinifera. But the truth is not like that. In this article, we will try to look at the truth of the matter together without tiring you too much.

Wikipedia, which is now our first reference source with its open source identity, states that there are 81 families registered under the title of vitis. One of these families, all of which live in the northern hemisphere, is the wine grape we know, namely 'vitis vinifera'. But for us wine lovers, it might be interesting to take a closer look at a few of the other vitis families. Let's take a look at six of the vitis families, all of which originate from North America.

Vitis Labrusca

Bu ailenin üyeleri arasında adı en çok öne çıkan üzüm ‘ConcordeThe most prominent grape among the members of this family is called 'Concorde'. If you've spent time in the United States, you've probably seen the grape marmalade they serve in their 'continental breakfast'. When the taste of this marmalade made from Concorde grapes was later adopted by the chewing gum industry, it became the standard taste that comes to mind when grapes are mentioned. The Vitis Labrusca family also has vines that produce white grapes named Antoinette and Cayuga, and red grapes named Catawba and Niagara. There is also a wine of Vitis Labrusca family in WAYANA Wine Menu. The name of the grape is Isabella and the wine is produced by Kerasus Winery.

Antoinette and Cayuga, and red grapes named Catawba and Niagara. There is also a wine of Vitis Labrusca family in WAYANA Wine Menu. The name of the grape is Isabella and the wine is produced by Kerasus Winery. Antoinette ve Cayuga adlı beyaz, Catawba ve Niagara adlı kırmızı üzüm veren asmaları da var. WAYANA portföyünde servis edilen bir şarapta Vitis Labrusca ailesinin İsabella adlı bir örneğinin olduğunu ekleyelim.

Vitis Riparia

This family is both responsible for and savior of the phylloxera disease, which is the biggest problem of European vineyards. The vine seedlings brought to Europe from America with great excitement in the 1800s, caused the phylloxera disease they produced together, despite the fact that the vineyards on the old continent almost did not reproduce. Later, scientists grafted wine grape vines spread to the root-trunk systems of the same vitis riparia vines, and these European vineyards came back to life. The possibilities of phylloxera are also called "camera Arabic". 

Vitis Riparia has vines that produce white grapes called Elvira, and red grapes called Bacchus, Baco Noir, Frontenac, Marechal Foch, Triomphe d'Alsace.

Vitis Rontundifolia

It must be an irony of nature that this grapevine, which is a natural carrier of a special acid that is critical in combating obesity, grows in the states with the highest obesity rates in America. The only member of the Vitis Rontundifolia family that is recorded is known as Muscadine. This monstrous grape, which looks much larger than the grape berries we are used to, is used to make sweet wine in the southern states where it grows. The sugar content of sweet wine must be the main reason why it is less effective in combating obesity. Muscadine adıyla bilinir. Görüntüsü alıştığımız üzüm tanelerine kıyasla çok daha büyük olan bu azman üzüm, yetiştiği güney eyaletlerinde tatlı şarap yapımında kullanılır. Herhalde obeziteyle mücadelede etkisinin düşük olmasının sebeplerinin başında tatlı şaraptaki şeker içeriği olsa gerek.

Vitis Aestivalis

Bu ailenin vinifera melezi olan Norton A member of this family, called Norton, is widely used in winemaking in America today. Although it was first recorded as Virginia, it is mostly grown in vineyards in Missouri today. Tasting professionals state that Norton wine is highly acidic, low in tannins, and reflects blackberry, chocolate, vanilla and earthy flavors.

Vitis Rupestris

This family, also known as ‘Sand Grape’ because it produces very good results in sandy soils, is known for its resistance to vine diseases. These characteristics created great excitement in the French wine world in the 1800s, and hybrid grapes were obtained from the Rupestris and Vinifera families through studies. However, when the French made a regulation in the appellation system that did not allow the use of hybrid grapes, the fate of the grapes that emerged with these studies changed.

The hybrids developed during that period, Chancellor, DeChaunac, Aurore, Vidal Blanc and Vignoles are known for their black-grained grapes and are still grown in the eastern and mid-eastern states of The U.S.A. Chancellor, DeChaunac, Aurore, Vidal Blanc ve Vignoles siyah taneli üzümleriyle tanınıyor ve halen Amerika’nın doğu ve orta-doğu eyaletlerinde yetiştiriliyor.

Vitis Mustangensis

The vines belonging to this family, grown in the southern states of America, produce grapes with many seeds that are not easy to eat and with high acidity where the bitterness of the tannins is prominent. Considering these characteristics, the most well-known example of this family, which gives the impression that wines suitable for aging can be obtained, is known as Mustang. Mustang wines are mentioned in records dating back to the American Civil War. Today, it continues its existence with wines made by Texas enthusiasts from grapes harvested from Mustang vines that are not grown in vineyards but grow naturally in nature.

A FINAL WORD

The basis of the thousands of years of wine’s journey, which is estimated to have started in the Caucasus, is the domestication of grapevines. The increasing prevalence of settled life with the Neolithic period strengthened the tendency of people to engage in settled agriculture in places close to their own living spaces. The domestication of grains, fruits and farm animals that we use as basic foodstuffs took place during this period. The rich diversity of wild grapes in this vast geography, which also includes the Caucasus, has ensured that vitis vinifera is at the center of world winemaking today. Members of this family have achieved their current strong positions through thousands of years of selection and improvement. As a result, studies on other grape families have been limited to members of the academic world who are scientifically interested in these subjects and a few wine enthusiasts. Grapes that are members of vitis families other than Vinifera have been deprived of similar development studies.

In today’s understanding of intellectual culture, we see that differences are also accepted as richness. It is a fact that grapevine families that have been overshadowed until now are also part of this richness. We hope to encounter wines made from these samples by adventurous producers in the wine world of the future.