PDF catalog of available grape's The Vitaceae or vine family has representatives in most parts of the world. It includes nearly 450 species, of which Vitis vinifera is without a doubt the most historically significant. After thousands of years of selection, this vining plant now provides us with a rich assortment of grapes for eating and wine making. Grapes are generally described as either white or black. White grapes are any shade between green and a transparent amber-yellow.
Black grapes can range from red to deep blue-black.
Scent and flavor are both dependent to some extent on the area where the grapes are grown, vines being very sensitive to climate and soil. The more slowly they ripen, the richer their aroma. Grapes grown furthest from the Equator in both hemispheres are the most fragrant. The grapes are by far the largest collection at the Davis repository, with their nearly 2700 accessions comprising over half of our total inventory. D. Pijpers, J.G. Constant, and K. Jansen.