Seasonal grapes

The grape is a fruit that comes from the vine that grows grouped in clusters. They can be purple, black, gold, yellow, white, pink etc.

In our grocery we bring you a wide selection of the most recognized and tasty grapes. Like any fruit these varieties are available depending on the season, you can read a description of each variety in the product details view.

History and origin of the grapes

The grape is one of the first crops that made the human being. There is evidence of being plated for consumption in the Neolithic period as there have been found seed samples in archaeological places in Italy, Switzerland and in tombs of pharaohs in ancient Egypt. Expert's historians locate their origin on the Caspian Sea, extending from the Asian region to the rest of Europe by the Mediterranean trade route.

Roman civilization spread cultivation to the cold northern European countries where the fruit was protected with glass for proper development; this increased the quality of the fruit obtained. Greenhouses were also created heated for growing grapes. Both the Romans and Greeks largely developed viticulture.

As with other fruits Spaniards introduced grapes in America. These Spanish settlers brought the fruit to North America where it quickly spread throughout the continent. However this time the attempt to export and grow this fruit already established in Europe in America failed as it suffered attack of parasites. Because of these diseases in the late nineteenth century the production of vine in Europe suffered a major blow after contamination by the American insect "Phylloxera". 30 years were enough to spread the plague by all the vineyards that were about to disappear. However, a solution that was to plant European grape varieties phylloxera-resistant in roots of American grapes.

Grape cultivation today

Currently the grape cultivation is spread throughout the warm parts of the world being its largest producers, Austria, South Africa, Europe and America. In Spain there are areas of great tradition as Almería, Murcia and Alicante. The "Aledo" variety has appellation of origin in the "Valle del Vinalopó", one of the varieties we offer in our store. In America the best growing areas are California, Chile and Argentina.

Properties and benefits of grapes

These sweet grapes besides being delicious provide great benefits for the body:

• Resveratrol helps lower cholesterol levels and in severe heart disease and cancer.
• Eating whole grapes without removing the skin will help regulate and cleanse the bowel.
• It is a great source of vitamin C.
• They are also a good source of natural energy thanks to its content in sugars and carbohydrates.
• It is a detoxifying fruit because they are high in potassium content and with low sodium levels.