Grapes are an ancient fruit. Some believe that the origins date back more than 130 millions years. Other say that the forbidden fruit from the Garden of Eden was actually grapes. In either case, humans soon discovered that that grapes naturally make wine when airborne yeast and enzymes cause fermentation of the fruit.
The earliest archeological record of beverages being made from fermented grapes was discovered in China and dates back to between 7,000 and 6,600 BC. Additionally, archaeological records suggest that cultivation of the domesticated grape occurred between 6,000 – 8,000 years ago in the Black Sea Region. Turkey began producing wine six thousand years ago. During this time, the ancient Pre-Hittite word for wine was ‘vino.’
With the rise of the Roman Empire, wine spread across the globe through trade, conquest and cultural exchange. Istanbul, once the capital of the Roman Empire, fell to the Ottoman Turks 1453 A.D. Under the Ottoman Empire, wine drinking was banned for most of the subsequent five hundred year rule. What little wine was produced during the time was made by the small Christian and Jewish populations. At the end of World War I and the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, Turkish wine culture had evaporated.
Prior to the 16th century, grapes were almost exclusively used for making wine. The consumption of grapes as table fruit is more recent historic development. The popularization has been traced to the French King Francois I (1494-1547). Ruling France from 1515 until his death, he had a fondness for the Chasselas Grapes as a dessert.
Today, Turkey is the sixth largest producer of grapes in the world.
Turkish Cuisine
Produce
Fruit
Grapes