A strange grape, that grape...

A strange grape, that grape... 

Part 2: Everything is family

The grape is a special plant. In a short series, our in-house expert Huib van Edixhoven introduces you in detail to the vitis vinifera. This edition is about the family relationships of the grape to which the wine drinker owes so much - with some all-important godfathers, piquant relationships and stunning mutants.
- TEXT HUIB VAN EDIXHOVEN

Ever heard of an ampelograph? No, this is neither a describer of prehistoric amphorae nor a practitioner of paramedical sciences. An ampelographer is nothing less than the nerd of nerds among wine connoisseurs. And who can elaborate on grapes in a way that shrivels the knowledge of wine connoisseurs to that of a sultana. He recognises varieties by the course of the veins, the shape of a bunch or the moment of colouring. He gets into higher spheres by small mutations to known varieties and can lie awake at night wondering about unexpected growth patterns.

Unexpected relationships

Ampelos in Greek means 'vine' and so the ampelographer describes the vitis vinifera. In the not-so-distant past, he had to search for corresponding characteristics between grapes, supplemented by research in ancient writings to identify possible family connections between grapes. This field has been on a rollercoaster ride in recent decades. With the advent of DNA technology, family relationships can suddenly be traced precisely. As a result, stubborn hypotheses have been shot down and unexpected relationships have been uncovered....

Curious about the whole article? You can read it in Winelife 72. Order this one here!

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