Factsheet F24: Grapes

Grapes are one of the earliest temperate fruits to have been cultivated – vineyards were planted in Egypt some 4200 years ago. They are the most important and most widely grown deciduous fruit and a major crop in all continents, with some 65,000,000 million tonnes produced per year, two-thirds in Europe.
Very commonly grown in the temperate and Mediterranean regions of the world for its edible fruit, there are numerous named varieties, some of which have been developed for their use as a dried fruit, others for dessert use and others for wine.