Your Daily Facts about Grapes
The grape is one of the oldest fruits to be cultivated going back as far as biblical times. Spanish explorers introduced the fruit to America approximately 300 years ago. Some of the most popular ways in which the fruit is used, is eaten fresh, in preserves or canned in jellies, dried into raisins, and crushed for juice or wine.
There are more than 60 species and 8000 varieties of grapes all over the world. Some common varieties of grapes are blue, black, green, red, golden, blue-black, white and purple.
The main two types of grapes are European and American. They come in seedless and seeded varieties.
American grapes are available in September and October, while European grapes are available round the year.
About 10% of U.S. grapes are grown organically.
About 50% of the grapes grown in the U.S. are used to make wine.
Grape growing is the largest food industry in the world. There are more than 60 species and 8000 varieties of grapes, and they can all be used to make juice and/or wine.
The average person eats eight pounds of grapes a year.
The best selling grape in the U.S. is the Thompson Seedless. Golden raisins are also made from the Thompson seedless grape.
Botanically, grapes are berries. There are about 25 million acres of grapes worldwide.
The world production of grapes is over 72 million tons.
About 25% of the grapes eaten in the United States are imported from Chile.
It takes about 2 1/2 pounds of grapes to produce a bottle of wine.
One acre of grapes can produce an average of about 15,000 glasses of wine.
The most valuable fruit crops in the United States are in order, grapes, apples, oranges and strawberries (2000).