| The first documentation of grapevines growing in the | | | | grapevines into America in the 1500's, there was |
| Americas was discovered in researching the logbook | | | | ample time for intermixing of species, so that |
| of navigator Giovanni de Verazzano, who reported in | | | | taxonomists today have great difficulty of positively |
| 1504 that a large "white grape" was vigorously | | | | identifying a grapevine growing in the woods as a |
| growing at Cape Fear, North Carolina. The English | | | | true native. There is a high probability that wild |
| explorer of the New World, Sir Walter Raleigh, | | | | grapevines contain genetic components of European |
| confirmed in a letter to Arthur Barlowe in 1585, the | | | | inheritance |
| discovery of a white grape (scuppernong), when he | | | | Prince Nursery of Flushing, N.Y. Was established as |
| landed in coastal North Carolina. | | | | the first American Nursery in 1737 and Robert Prince |
| The 1500's ancient discovery of native grapevines | | | | advertised "Lisbon and Madeira grapevines for sale, |
| growing in America was followed by numerous | | | | Vitis vinifera." It was interesting to note reports that |
| Spanish settlements along the coast of the United | | | | Prince was unsuccessful in attempts to grow vines of |
| States where introduced old world grapevines were | | | | wine grapes (European) due to "his inability to control |
| planted alongside the native American grapevines. | | | | a deadly fungus." It is probably that Prince thought |
| That interplanting resulted in natural crosses of hybrid | | | | the problem was a fungus, but most likely the |
| grapevines, a blending of the characteristics of both | | | | problem was a pest, phylloxera, that was a small |
| types. The French navigators were also exploring | | | | lice-like creature that ate the roots of European |
| territories and lands surrounding Louisiana and were | | | | grapevines, Vitis vinifera, and once American |
| planting European grape vine varieties from the South | | | | grapevines were exported to Europe, most of the |
| of France, that also hybridized with native American | | | | vineyards growing there were destroyed. |
| grapevines. The English settlers established colonies in | | | | George Washington built Mount Vernon as his home |
| 1733 in Savannah, Georgia and Fort Frederica, on | | | | in Virginia in 1754, where he planted extensive |
| Saint Simon's Island, Georgia, under General James | | | | orchards and vineyards from which he picked grapes |
| Oglethorpe, who was the first Governor of Georgia. | | | | and dried them into raisins. They were a "Staple at |
| These English colonies brought in seeds of grapes | | | | the dinner table" of George Washington. |
| from Europe that were planted and grown in small | | | | Thomas Jefferson planted extensive European |
| farm vineyards. Those transplants intermixed with | | | | grapevines at his vineyard at Monticello, Va., in 1807, |
| native grapevines that grew in woods nearby, and | | | | but like many other gardeners and wine makers, he |
| this intermixing resulted in new grape hybrids that | | | | failed when all the vines died of phylloxera, but he |
| were spread by the Indians and colonists | | | | replaced those vines with the native American |
| everywhere. It is believed that these hybrids | | | | alternative grapevine, scuppernong, Vitis rotundifolia. |
| produced some selections such as Concord, Niagara, | | | | Perhaps no other group of plants is known better |
| Catawba, and others that were identified as growing | | | | than the plant tribe of grapes. The grape is known |
| naturally in the woods by the great American | | | | more for its ability to transform into wine, than for |
| explorer William Bartram, in his book, Travels, as Vitis | | | | its desirability as a table grape or a desert grape. |
| labrusca by botanists today. | | | | Some grapes contain so much sugar inside the skin, |
| Henry Laurens, who served as President of the | | | | that they will not ferment in on the vine after |
| American Continental Congress after the year 1755, | | | | ripening, but will turn into a raisin. The unique aesthetic |
| lived near Charleston, South Carolina, and introduced | | | | quality of the grape is the capacity for producing |
| olive trees, lime trees, everbearing strawberries, | | | | juice. The juice may be used fresh or fermented into |
| ginger, red raspberry, and blue grapes into the | | | | famous vines with distinctive aromas and flavors |
| colonies to be grown for food. Henry Laurens was a | | | | increasing into quality with aging, some lasting for |
| good friend of John and William Bartram, the famous | | | | centuries. The Roman wine makers put floating olive |
| father and son, botanist explorers, and author of the | | | | oil in the wine bottles to prevent the wine from |
| book, Travels, in 1773. From Southern France, Henry | | | | oxidizing and fermenting further into vinegar. |
| Laurens introduced "apples, pears, plums, the white | | | | Luther Burbank, the great American hybridizer in his 8 |
| chasselas grape (vine) which bore abundantly." | | | | volumes of Fruit Improvement, made grape |
| Laurens claimed that he raised the fruit of the olive | | | | selections by hybridizing over 100,000 species of |
| tree that he pickled and explained was "equal to | | | | American grapes with European grapes and other |
| those exported." | | | | species that he imported from various countries. |
| William Bartram wrote in his botanical book, Travels, | | | | Burbank's inventive work on grapevines |
| in 1773, that he left Augusta on the way to | | | | demonstrated that the characteristics of grape |
| Savannah, Georgia, and viewed a plantation growing | | | | production, taste, and many other factors can show |
| grapes. "Vitis vinifera, for wine, Vitis corinthiaca, for | | | | great variations, depending on climate, conditions, and |
| Currants, Vitis allobrogia, for Raisins, olives, figs, | | | | soil changes. He imported muscadine vines, Vitis |
| Morus (mulberry), for feeding silkworms, Citrus | | | | rotundifolia, from the Southeastern United States |
| aurantium, Citrus limon, Citrus verrucosa, the great | | | | where they flourished, but these grapevines were |
| sweet scented Citron." | | | | not satisfactory growers when planted in California. |
| When crossing the Saint John's River in Eastern | | | | Burbank spent considerable effort in hybridizing |
| Florida, Bartram wrote that the "grape vines in this | | | | American grape species with Tokay grapes from |
| place were astonishing to behold." He wrote that the | | | | Hungary and the ancient Syrian grapevines of the |
| grape was "small and ill tasted" but the strength and | | | | Bible. Burbank also imported the Thompson's white |
| bulk of the vines could be imagined to pull the giant | | | | seedless grapevines in 1880 into California to hybridize |
| mighty trees down to Earth, but actually served to | | | | with American grapevine species. He found it was an |
| uphold the trees since the 12 inch wide vines twined | | | | extremely productive, light-colored, strong-growing, |
| up the trees and then "spread along their limbs, from | | | | yellowish white grape "that grew well in California |
| tree to tree, throughout the forest." In Alabama, | | | | vineyards." |
| Bartram wrote that the trees "were entangled with | | | | It is obvious that historically grapes were found |
| grape vines (Vitis campestris) of a particular species; | | | | growing in America by European explorers, who |
| the bunches (racemes) of fruit were very large, as | | | | brought European grapevines and grape seeds with |
| were the grapes that composed them, though yet | | | | them, that were considered to be superior to |
| green and not fully grown, but when ripe they were | | | | American native grapevines. European grapevines had |
| of various colors, and their juice sweet and rich." | | | | been interbred for centuries with certain genetic |
| Bartram wrote that the Indians gathered, dried, and | | | | weaknesses appearing, when American native |
| stored them (raisins) as provisions. | | | | grapevines were introduced into Europe, and the |
| Bartram identified on page 327 of Travels, the | | | | European vines faced total extinction until it was |
| European grape, Vitis vinifera, | | | | learned that the European vines could be saved by |
| "Which ramble and spread themselves over the | | | | being grafted on top of American grapevine root |
| shrubs and low trees in these situations" and the | | | | stocks. The genetic characteristics of European |
| Indians assured Bartram that the grapes would | | | | grapevines were hybridized naturally when planted |
| "produce fruit affording on excellent juice; the grapes | | | | along side American native grapevines into new |
| are of various colours when ripe, of the figure and | | | | commercial grape selections. American plant breeders |
| about the size of the European wine grapes". | | | | have achieved monumental successes in producing |
| This grape that Bartram identified as European grape, | | | | new grapes that are specifically used as juice grapes, |
| Vitis vinifera, could very well have been a hybrid | | | | raisin grapes, wine grapes, table grapes, and |
| cross with an American native grapevine. | | | | pick-your-own selections. |
| Because of the introduction of the European | | | | |