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Today's world-famous grape varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon were not domesticated in Europe, but in the South Caucasus. This is proven by a genetic study of the University of Udine and the Istituto di Genomica Applicata in Italy. In the research project, grapes from Europe and the South Caucasus - today's Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia - were analysed.
The scientists found out that the ancestors of the European grape varieties were already cultivated for consumption in the Caucasus 4,000 years ago and slowly made their way westwards via the Mediterranean, where they crossed with European varieties. Researchers suspect that these crosses helped the grapes survive the colder winters in Europe. This developed into the varieties we know today, which were later bred for larger and tastier fruit. They also found an enzyme in the wild grapes that stimulates the production of growth hormones and makes for larger seeds. Since this is missing in the native varieties, they are better suited for consumption and winemaking with their smaller seeds.
(al / Source: Phys.org; Photo: pixabay)
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