History
History 1: The California Tradition of Viticulture
For more than two centuries, Californians have been cultivating grapes.
Viticulture, or the science, production, and study of grapes, first began in California in the late 1700s when Spanish Friars arrived to establish Catholic missions. Because the native grapes were sour and made poor wine, the Friars brought over grapes from Europe and planted their own vineyards to make sacramental wine.
In the mid-1800s, prospectors poured into California. They came looking for gold until some discovered that there might be more money in grapes. Shortly after the Gold Rush, California’s fledgling agricultural society declared, "Capital put into vineyards would bring greater rewards than...fluming rivers for golden treasures."
Their instincts were good. California’s warm, dry climate turned out to be ideal for growing grapes. Today, more than 700,000 acres across California are planted with fresh grape, wine and raisin vineyards and 98% of U.S. commercially grown table grapes are from California.
| 6000 B.C. | Vitis vinifera grape (common grape vine) varieties are first cultivated near northern Iran between the Black and Caspian seas. |
| 3000 B.C. | Cultivation reaches Egypt and Phoenicia. |
| 2000 B.C. | Viticulture reaches Greece. |
| 1000 B.C. | Viticulture reaches Italy, Sicily, and North Africa. |
| 500 B.C. | Viticulture reaches Spain, Portugal, and France, then spreads across Europe to the British Isles. |
| 1839 | Kentucky-native William Wolfskill plants the first table grape vineyard in California. |
| Mid-1800s | Hungarian expatriate Colonel Agoston Haraszthy, often called the "Father of California Viticulture" brings 100,000 cuttings of Vitis vinifera varieties from Europe to California. |
| 1860 | English settler William Thompson plants a Mediterranean grape called the "Oval Kishmish" near Yuba City north of Sacramento. This popular green variety is now known as the Thompson Seedless. |
| 1869 | Fresh table grapes are first shipped to eastern markets. |
| 1970 | Per capita consumption of grapes in the United States reaches 2.5 pounds. |
| Today | Per capita consumption of grapes in the United States hovers around 8 pounds. |
History 2: Four Seasons in the Valleys of the Sun
The California table grape season begins in late spring when the first grapes are harvested in the Coachella Valley, California’s southernmost growing region. By mid-July, Coachella’s season has ended and harvest moves north to the San Joaquin Valley. Through late fall, the harvest of fresh grapes from California continues.
Sequential harvesting from south to north combined with advanced storage techniques means that varieties of California table grapes are available from May to January. During the few months that California grapes are not available, grapes imported from the Southern Hemisphere, chiefly Chile, can be found in most produce markets.
History 3: The Life Cycle in the Vineyards
Growing grapes is a year-round job. In winter, the vines are vigorously pruned by hand and in early spring, each vine is "girdled" with an incision that encircles the base of the vine to channel nutrients from the roots to the fruit.
Bud break comes next, followed by a burst in foliage. Cane shoots emerge, sometimes growing more than an inch per day. As the days warm up, flowers bloom, then shatter to make way for the tiny green grapes that will eventually ripen into clusters.
Unlike many fresh fruits, grapes are harvested fully ripe. After they’re picked, they do not become sweeter, so timing is everything.
Determining when grapes are ripe is a real science, and both the U.S. Department of Agriculture and California Department of Food and Agriculture are involved in setting and monitoring grape production standards. Sugar content, color, bunch and berry size, and uniformity are all measured before harvest begins, and the workers who decide which grapes to clip are trained professionals with years of experience.
Once picked, fresh grapes are easily damaged by rough handling, warm temperatures, excessive moisture, and decay-causing organisms. Consequently, grape bunches are carefully inspected and then immediately packed by hand into shipping containers - sometimes right in the field.
Shortly after picking, the field heat is removed from the fruit in cold storage facilities. From this point until they reach their destination - markets throughout the world - the grapes will be maintained in a carefully regulated environment to assure they arrive in just-picked condition.