Botanical Profile
Vitis vinifera is a deciduous climbing plant of the Vitaceae and one of the most important cultivated plants in human history. From a raw-material perspective, fruits, skins, seeds, leaves, pomace, juice, wine, grape-seed oil and extracts derived from them must be clearly distinguished.
Vitis vinifera L. is a perennial woody climber with long shoots, tendrils, alternate usually palmately lobed leaves and paniculate inflorescences. The small flowers develop into berries arranged in clusters. Depending on cultivar and ripeness, fruit colour ranges from greenish-yellow through pink and red to deep violet or blue-black. The species originated in the western Asian-Mediterranean region and has been distributed since antiquity in numerous cultivated forms. Besides wine and table grapes, raisin, juice and specialist cultivars are important. For raw-material assessment, separation of pulp, skin, seed, leaf and processing by-products is essential because these fractions have different chemical and sensory profiles.
Phytochemistry
Grapes contain water, sugars, organic acids, minerals, pectins, aroma compounds, anthocyanins, flavonols, flavan-3-ols, tannins and stilbenes. Anthocyanins in the skins are characteristic of red and blue cultivars, while white cultivars show different polyphenol profiles. Grape seeds contain oligomeric proanthocyanidins, catechins, epicatechins and other phenolic components, as well as fixed oil rich in linoleic acid, oleic acid, tocopherols and phytosterols. Vine leaves contain flavonoids, tannins and organic acids. Resveratrol and related stilbenes are described particularly in skins and vine tissues, but their content varies greatly with cultivar, climate, fungal pressure, ripeness and processing. Grape-seed extracts, red-wine polyphenols, leaf extracts and grape-seed oil are therefore chemically not interchangeable.
Traditional Uses
The grapevine has shaped agriculture, nutrition, trade, religion, medical history and cultural history of the Mediterranean, Near East and Europe for millennia. Fresh grapes, dried raisins, grape juice, wine, vinegar, pomace and vine leaves were used in diverse culinary and artisanal contexts. In European and Near Eastern cultural history, the vine represents fertility, cultivated landscapes, fermentation and the production of beverages for enjoyment. Vine leaves are used regionally as food, for example stuffed or fermented, whereas grape seeds and pomace were perceived more as processing by-products. Historical information on wine, leaves or extracts always depends on the specific plant part and preparation.
Current Research
Modern research on Vitis vinifera is extremely broad and encompasses viticulture, oenology, polyphenol chemistry, anthocyanins, grape-seed extracts, resveratrol, grape-seed oil, fermentation, cultivar development, fungal resistance, climate adaptation and utilisation of processing by-products. Grape-seed extracts are frequently studied because of their proanthocyanidin content. Resveratrol is investigated in numerous experimental models, although transferability of isolated cell or animal data to ordinary food use is limited. Vine leaves and skin fractions are analytically characterised for flavonoids, anthocyanins and tannins. Cultivar identity, residues, microbiological quality, oxidative stability and standardisation of the respective fraction are decisive for raw-material development and quality assurance.
Sources
- Plants of the World Online: Vitis vinifera L.; Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
- Specialist literature on Vitis vinifera, grape polyphenols, anthocyanins and grape-seed extracts.
- Standard oenological and food-chemistry literature on grapes, wine and processing by-products.
Notice
The information presented in this botanical profile has been compiled to the best of our knowledge and belief from botanical, phytochemical, historical and scientific sources. It is intended solely for general professional information and initial orientation.
The content does not constitute an assurance of specific properties, effects, qualities or possible uses of products or extracts. In particular, it does not constitute a guarantee, a statement of suitability, or a statement regarding marketability, permissibility or usability in specific applications or markets.
Assessment of the suitability of a raw material or extract for a particular intended use, as well as compliance with all applicable legal and regulatory requirements, is the sole responsibility of the respective user.