Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Introduction
Grapes are an important global crop. The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)
reports that 93 countries produced grapes in 2011, ranging from the large Chinese
production (9.1 million t) to the modest 12 t produced in Quatar, making grapes
the third largest of 37 major crops behind Bananas and Apples with almost 70 mil-
lion t produced. It is however the most important crop by area of production (7 mil-
lion ha). Only 16 countries produced in excess of 1 million t of grapes in 2011 and
average yield ranged from 21.5 t/ha in Albania to 0.4 t/ha in the Philippines. Most
countries had an average national yields ranging from 5 to 12 t/ha. The value of the
commodity to the producer varied greatly, ranging from US $ 7550/t in Japan to
US $ 54/t in Chile (in 2011).
Grapes are grown for three main purposes: eating as fresh products (table
grapes), dried and for winemaking. This chapter focuses on the production of grapes
for winemaking, but many sections will be relevant to professionals in the dried and
fresh industries.
The History of Wine
The earliest evidence of intentional winemaking practices dates from 4500
bc
in
Georgia (Berkowitz
1996
). Additional evidence was found in the Zagros Mountains
in nearby Iran (dated 4500
bc
) and Armenia (dated 4100
bc
). Furthermore, evidence
of a winery was also found in Armenia in the Areni-1 cave complex (dated 3000
bc
).
In northern Greece, charred grape pips and grape skins were discovered at the Neo-
lithic site of Dikili Tash, and dated 4500
bc
(Valamoti et al.
2007
). The process may
have included the addition of figs and honey pre or post fermentation, and support
the hypothesis that the wine originated from wild grapes as they often have a bitter
taste.
The exact period of vine domestication is still unclear but archaeological evi-
dence supports that Near East (current region north of the Zagros Mountains) and
Sumer (current Iraq) are the original sites of wild grape domestication approxi-
mately 3000
bc
. Vines were cultivated in Egypt around 3000
bc
(where there were
no wild grape cultivars) and spread through northern Europe during the Greek
and Roman civilisations where it was an important component of ceremonial life.
Under Roman influence, the practice of viticulture and winemaking dramatical-
ly improved, particularly for storing and transporting wine. Extensive spread of
vines by the Romans in Europe led to an edict in 97
bc
for a 'vine pull scheme'
in an early attempt at protectionism for Italian wines, but this edict was revoked
in 200
ad
.
Comparative and morphological genetic studies have identified with certainty
the wild progenitor of modern grape variety.
Vitis sylvestris
was regarded as a sepa-
rate species but is now considered the wild race (subspecies) of the cultivated grape
