from Jillian Tamaki’s ‘Down the Rabbit Hole’ in the New Yorker 8/10/23
Let’s fall down the rabbit hole on the Vitis.
Sometimes you will hear people mention ‘Vitis vinifera’ (these are usually wine nerds of a specific type depending on where you are)…so lets suss it out before we get too lost.
A quick guide to the Grape Classification by way of sciencedirect.com
Kingdom - Plantae
Division - Magnoliophyta
Class - Magnoliopsida
Order - Vitales
Family - Vitaceae
Genus - Vitis
Species - Vitis vinifera
So, what does this mean and where can you go in a conversation or deduction in talking about / learning about a wine?
**organize my comments below as Oldest First to follow my fall into the hole**
Vitis vinifera (the European grapevine) is the grape that is used most widely across the world to make wine. This is the grape that 'Wine' is known as. This is the grape that centuries of knowledge, tradition, culture & expectations for wine has been founded on. This is the grape that sommeliers train with. This is the grape that restaurants work with. This is the grape that auction houses and avid collectors spend a LOT of money on.
Non-vinifera wine simply has a bad rap. The native American grapevine, Vitis labrusca, has a well accepted connotation of being 'foxy' or 'musky', one-noted, overly fruity, simple and non-age worthy.
Examples of non-vinifera wines are hard to find; they aren't saturated in the market & why would they be? If there is no demand, why should there be a supply? If no supply, then no competition, therefore no advantage of putting more time, effort and money into creating a better wine.
However, the wine world is finding that it's time to adapt. There are many challenges wine makers, sellers and consumers are facing these days. One of the biggest ones, climate change. Vitis vinifera is a very fragile vine...with the massive change in weather patterns and growing seasons vinifera may not be able to thrive let alone survive.
Cultural climate is also changing, with an influx of fun and adventurous drinkers ready to break with the stuffy patterns of wine snobbery. The idea of 'keeping it local' or 'sustainable' has been growing. Less individuals care what the grape is, only if they enjoy how it tastes.
I have had the opportunity to play with / or taste a handful of wines made from non-vinifera. I would strongly suggest you check out Wild Arc Farm & Grape Republic for some great examples of non-vinifera.
I am also a huge supporter of uniquely tasting wines for pairings; while a wine might not present 'classic', the specific and unique flavor profiles in it could work so brilliantly with a dish. Think of it more as a seasoning item than simply a glass of wine.
And lastly, when speaking with a snob who INSISTS Vitis vinifera is the only grape wine should be made from...remind them that 90% of the vinifera vines are grafted with American rootstock...so really, how vinifera are they?
Labrusca has also been described, in addition to being 'foxy' or musky... as having 'a taste of gunpowder'.. or a strong candied or wild strawberry aroma or peach preserves.
Vitis riparia has been described as an herbaceous nose with flavors reminiscent of black currants and/or quite sour.
Some winemakers found that the flavors, tannins & acid structures of vinifera grapes to be better than non-vinifera or hybrids.
It has ben mentioned that the wine made from American native grapes can be simple and meant to be drank quickly upon bottling.
However, it is good to note that perhaps more elaborate, structured and aged wines from the American native grapes are not being seen because there is little initiative to make them with so much attention and money put on Vitis vinifera. Especially if the accepted idea that Vitis labrusca is foxy and sour.
Grafting (the fusing/joining of 2 plants to grow as 1) became an essential tool in saving vines from the phylloxera outbreak in the 1860s. A little louse that hitched a ride from some American vines (Vitis labrusca) and nearly wiped out all of the Vitis vinifera back in Europe. Grafting Vitis vinifera onto American rootstock (Vitis riparia) allowed the vinifera to pick up the American rootstock's natural resistance to phylloxera. According to Lafite, It is estimated that over 90% of the world's vines are grown from grafted rootstock (most of that being American rootstock).
There are arguments being made from winemakers that grafted vines can be problematic in both growing grapes and making wine. There can be an unusual or different depletion of soil nutrients causing pH imbalances in the soils and wine. It was also noted that grape clusters can be uneven; growing different sizes of berries which in turn can cause problems in winemaking.
Usually found in the 3 provinces. In the northeast of China, the east of Inner Mongolia and part of Russia and North Korea.
This Vitis is very resistant to cold (possibly the best of all Vitis); also strongly resistant to disease (powdery mildew, white rot, grapevine anthracnose & grape black pox...ew).
It has a very different characteristic than the American grapes...aka no musky aroma...which makes it a good candidate for use in hybrids.
Some of these include : Beichun, Beihong, Beimei, Beixin, Beixi
There are about 34 species of grapes (Vitis) in the Americas
Some include:
Vitis labrusca (fox grape) - Native to Eastern North America, known as 'slip-skin'
cultivars include : Catawba, Concord, Delaware, Isabella, Niagara & hybrids
Vitis riparia (river bank grape or frost grape) - Native to North America
cultivars include : Bacchus, Baco Noir, Elvira, Frontenac, Marechal Foch
Vitis vulpina (frost grape / winter grape) - (The name translates to 'fox grape', not to be confused with Vitis labrusca). Native to Eastern & Central US & Canada
Vitis rotundifolia (Muscadine / bullate grape) -(Belongs to a separate subgenus, Muscadinia) Native to southeastern & south-central US
clultivars include : Black Beauty, Carlos, Coward, Flowers, Fry, Granny Val, Iron, James
Vitis aestivates (summer grape) - Found in upland forests & is said to be the oldest domesticated American grape (The Norton grape is derived from this species)
Vitis is the Genus of Grapevines which has 81 accepted species (however 84 are listed in Plants of the World Online.)
Vitis vinifera is the European grapevine or Old World grapevine; this is the species that makes the big name grapes
...Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Cab Sauv, Cab Franc etc.
The Vitis International Variety Catalogue* identifies 12,250 varieties for V. vinifera which includes synonyms & homonyms; the estimate for actual vine varieties for V. vinifera is around 6,000.
...according to 'jamesthewineguy' he found 334 total synonyms for Pinot Noir.
*check out vivc.de; the Vitis International Variety Catalogue created in 1984
To wrap it up:
Vitis vinifera (the European grapevine) is the grape that is used most widely across the world to make wine. This is the grape that 'Wine' is known as. This is the grape that centuries of knowledge, tradition, culture & expectations for wine has been founded on. This is the grape that sommeliers train with. This is the grape that restaurants work with. This is the grape that auction houses and avid collectors spend a LOT of money on.
Non-vinifera wine simply has a bad rap. The native American grapevine, Vitis labrusca, has a well accepted connotation of being 'foxy' or 'musky', one-noted, overly fruity, simple and non-age worthy.
Examples of non-vinifera wines are hard to find; they aren't saturated in the market & why would they be? If there is no demand, why should there be a supply? If no supply, then no competition, therefore no advantage of putting more time, effort and money into creating a better wine.
However, the wine world is finding that it's time to adapt. There are many challenges wine makers, sellers and consumers are facing these days. One of the biggest ones, climate change. Vitis vinifera is a very fragile vine...with the massive change in weather patterns and growing seasons vinifera may not be able to thrive let alone survive.
Cultural climate is also changing, with an influx of fun and adventurous drinkers ready to break with the stuffy patterns of wine snobbery. The idea of 'keeping it local' or 'sustainable' has been growing. Less individuals care what the grape is, only if they enjoy how it tastes.
I have had the opportunity to play with / or taste a handful of wines made from non-vinifera. I would strongly suggest you check out Wild Arc Farm & Grape Republic for some great examples of non-vinifera.
https://www.wildarcfarm.com https://www.jennyandfrancois.com/wines-2/usa/wild-arc-farm/
https://shop.grape-republic.com
I am also a huge supporter of uniquely tasting wines for pairings; while a wine might not present 'classic', the specific and unique flavor profiles in it could work so brilliantly with a dish. Think of it more as a seasoning item than simply a glass of wine.
And lastly, when speaking with a snob who INSISTS Vitis vinifera is the only grape wine should be made from...remind them that 90% of the vinifera vines are grafted with American rootstock...so really, how vinifera are they?
Why such hate on non-vinifera?
Vitis labrusca is called the 'Foxy Grape' as it has been described as having a 'strong, rancid smell of its ripe fruit, very like the effluvia from the body of a fox' (William Bartram, botanist)*. However, there are many other suggestion for how it got its name beyond its flavor profile...check out here: https://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/view?docId=ft967nb63q&chunk.id=d0e11447&toc.id=&brand=ucpress
Labrusca has also been described, in addition to being 'foxy' or musky... as having 'a taste of gunpowder'.. or a strong candied or wild strawberry aroma or peach preserves.
Vitis riparia has been described as an herbaceous nose with flavors reminiscent of black currants and/or quite sour.
Some winemakers found that the flavors, tannins & acid structures of vinifera grapes to be better than non-vinifera or hybrids.
It has ben mentioned that the wine made from American native grapes can be simple and meant to be drank quickly upon bottling.
However, it is good to note that perhaps more elaborate, structured and aged wines from the American native grapes are not being seen because there is little initiative to make them with so much attention and money put on Vitis vinifera. Especially if the accepted idea that Vitis labrusca is foxy and sour.
*https://leereich.com/2021/09/foxy-grapes.html
Another great article to read more about the Native American grapes : https://www.palatepress.com/wine-indigenous-american-grape-varieties-a-primer/
Hybrids...
Hybrid grapes are made by crossing Vitis; initially in response to phylloxera...but also to combat other diseases and temperature extremes.
Europe is quite against Hybrids, having been banned in European wine regions until recently.
America is another story; an extensive history of Hybrids coming out of Cornell University and the University of Minnesota.
Some Hybrids
Cabernet Doré (crossing of Cabernet Sauvignon + Norton (which is a hybrid itself))
Cayuga
Chardonel (crossing of Chardonnay + Seyval Blanc)
La Crescent
Traminette (crossing of Gewürztraminer + Joannes Seife 23.416 (a hybrid itself))
Baco Noir
Catawba
Chambourcin
Frontenac
Marquette
Check out more here : https://www.wineenthusiast.com/culture/wine/hybrid-wine-grapes-guide/?customer_id=812-391-9340&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=6514397729&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw_LOwBhBFEiwAmSEQAU_Sw9xS5ZgOzl2XkQfZDcbSYrxikY4Feam1qjxFUQjLi_Z2k3Ug_RoCsAgQAvD_BwE
Grafting...
Grafting (the fusing/joining of 2 plants to grow as 1) became an essential tool in saving vines from the phylloxera outbreak in the 1860s. A little louse that hitched a ride from some American vines (Vitis labrusca) and nearly wiped out all of the Vitis vinifera back in Europe. Grafting Vitis vinifera onto American rootstock (Vitis riparia) allowed the vinifera to pick up the American rootstock's natural resistance to phylloxera. According to Lafite, It is estimated that over 90% of the world's vines are grown from grafted rootstock (most of that being American rootstock).
There are arguments being made from winemakers that grafted vines can be problematic in both growing grapes and making wine. There can be an unusual or different depletion of soil nutrients causing pH imbalances in the soils and wine. It was also noted that grape clusters can be uneven; growing different sizes of berries which in turn can cause problems in winemaking.
(check out this great article: https://www.winespectator.com/articles/do-grafted-or-own-rooted-vines-make-better-wine)
Vitis amurensis - in Chinese ' Shan Pu Tao'
Usually found in the 3 provinces. In the northeast of China, the east of Inner Mongolia and part of Russia and North Korea.
This Vitis is very resistant to cold (possibly the best of all Vitis); also strongly resistant to disease (powdery mildew, white rot, grapevine anthracnose & grape black pox...ew).
It has a very different characteristic than the American grapes...aka no musky aroma...which makes it a good candidate for use in hybrids.
Some of these include : Beichun, Beihong, Beimei, Beixin, Beixi
For more information, check it out....
https://www.decanterchina.com/en/columns/demeis-view-wine-communication-from-a-chinese-winemaker/the-chinese-i-vitis-amurensis-i
There are about 34 species of grapes (Vitis) in the Americas
Some include:
Vitis labrusca (fox grape) - Native to Eastern North America, known as 'slip-skin'
cultivars include : Catawba, Concord, Delaware, Isabella, Niagara & hybrids
Vitis riparia (river bank grape or frost grape) - Native to North America
cultivars include : Bacchus, Baco Noir, Elvira, Frontenac, Marechal Foch
Vitis vulpina (frost grape / winter grape) - (The name translates to 'fox grape', not to be confused with Vitis labrusca). Native to Eastern & Central US & Canada
Vitis rotundifolia (Muscadine / bullate grape) -(Belongs to a separate subgenus, Muscadinia) Native to southeastern & south-central US
clultivars include : Black Beauty, Carlos, Coward, Flowers, Fry, Granny Val, Iron, James
Vitis aestivates (summer grape) - Found in upland forests & is said to be the oldest domesticated American grape (The Norton grape is derived from this species)
Vitis is the Genus of Grapevines which has 81 accepted species (however 84 are listed in Plants of the World Online.)
Vitis vinifera is the European grapevine or Old World grapevine; this is the species that makes the big name grapes
...Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Cab Sauv, Cab Franc etc.
The Vitis International Variety Catalogue* identifies 12,250 varieties for V. vinifera which includes synonyms & homonyms; the estimate for actual vine varieties for V. vinifera is around 6,000.
...according to 'jamesthewineguy' he found 334 total synonyms for Pinot Noir.
*check out vivc.de; the Vitis International Variety Catalogue created in 1984