Grape vine belongs to the grape family Vitaceae, the great family of flowering plants. The Vitaceae family consists of 11 genera and more than 600 species. Plants from that family are perennial woody plants or vines (shrub-vines -climbing plants, small trees). The plants from this family are characterized by tendril-bearing vines that serve for climbing and cementing the vine to a surface. Leaves have alternate arrangement, situated opposite to tendrils and flowers and can be simple, lobed or unlobed, or compound. Flowers are hermaphroditic or polygamo-monoecious, with berry as fruit. When it comes to viticulture, Vitis is the most important species of the Vitaceae family, and the representatives of that species are called vines. Subgenera of Vitis are Muscadinia (2 species) and Euvitis (more than 30 species). Subgenera Euvitis is also known as true grapes. It is native to areas with temperate climate.
Subgenera Euvitis can be classified into three groups:
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North American species are economically very important due to resistance to cryptogamic disease and phylloxera. They serve for vine grafting to phylloxera-resistant rootstocks (Vitis riparia, Vitis rupestris, Vitis berlandieri), and some of them were used to breed grape species (Vitis labrusca, Vitis aestivalis, Vitis cinerea). When diseases like powdery mildew and white rust spread across Europe, North American species were introduced in breeding to achieve resistance. Resistant species were interbread with the varieties of Vitis vinifera which resulted in a number of hybrids, that possess the highest wine qualities associated with the so called noble grapes.
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East Asian species are prone to diseases and phylloxera and are thus are cultivated for decorative purposes. The best known species of this group is Vitis amurensis (the Amur grape). It is very resistant to frost and can endure temperatures as low as -40°C which is why it is used in breeding.
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European Asian species comprise two varieties, these being noble, European grape – Vitis vinifera and wild, forest grape – Vitis sylvestris. V. sylvestris is non-resistant to phylloxera and diseases so it has disappeared from many areas and is now mostly found near forests and alongside rivers and lakes. Vitis vinifera is the primary cultivated grape species. It belongs to polymorphic species with numerous varieties characterized by different morphological and biological features. It is sensitive to American diseases and phylloxera.
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P. Mimica, mag. ing. agr.