edible grape?

[Javaman]

Okay, I was over at the garden store the other day and there was a unknown grape plant for sale. So I bought it, it was very cheap.

I found out it was a Cabinet Sauvignon grape. Now, I'm not able to set up a wine making operation since it's only one plant.

But my question is: is this type of grape edible?

I have searched on google but all I turn up is how to make wine with it.

[hedgehog]

1. Taste it and see.

[Fresh_Start]

2. its edible but not an ordinary table grape

you go on winery tours you taste them and other varieties right off the vine

[PetrusMonsFormicarum]

3. Yes, but . . .

wine grapes are different from table grapes in that they are edible . . . but hardly incredible. You may find the skins overly thick, the interiors more jellyish.

A notable exception is champagne grapes. Tiny pearl-like fruit, but really exquisite flavor.

[soothsayer]

4. sure it is! will be darn tasty, too.

[FightingIrish]

5. We have 23 varieties of wine grapes on 75 acres. Every variety

is uniquely delicious and far better than table grapes. They have seeds but I even like munching on the seeds. My favorite for eating off the view are Viognier, Cabernet Franc and Tempranillo.

[XemaSab]

6. Funny you should post this

I bought a CabSav grape on impulse yesterday.... looks like we will be eating them together. :toast:

[AlecBGreen]

yeah its edible

wine grapes have been bred ('selected' to use the genetic parlance) based on the traits of their skins - the thickness, mineral content, aka the flavor it will impart to wine

table grapes were selected according to their flesh - sweetness, firmness, and the thinness of the skin.

You Cab Sav should make nice grapes and will be better for you. Swallow the seeds ;) Grape seed oil extract costs BIG bucks for a reason.

[AlecBGreen]

7. yeah its edible

wine grapes have been bred ('selected' to use the genetic parlance) based on the traits of their skins - the thickness, mineral content, aka the flavor it will impart to wine

table grapes were selected according to their flesh - sweetness, firmness, and the thinness of the skin.

You Cab Sav should make nice grapes and will be better for you. Swallow the seeds ;) Grape seed oil extract costs BIG bucks for a reason.

[Dead_Parrot]

8. Yes, but it's a waste.

Better to make the wine. :)

[happyslug]

9. Wikipedia has a good report on it, but unclear as to its roots.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabernet_Sauvignon
http://wine.appellationamerica.com/grape-varietal/Cabernet-Sauvignon.html

And when I meant roots, I did NOT mean where the grape came from but its actual roots. Thomas Jefferson was the first American to try to raise European Wine Grapes in the US, they all died out within a few years of being planted. The reason for this is American Grapes are generally immune to Phyllozera, while it is a killer of European Grapes. Furthermore Phylloxera is carried in the roots of American Grapes thus when Jefferson brought his European Wine Grapes to the US, he exposed them to Phylloxera and the grapes subsequent died. It was unknown at the time but Phylloxera was the cause. In the 1860s American Grapes were introduced into Europe and brought Phylloxera with them. This quickly spread to European Grapes and you almost had all of the wine making grapes in Europe die out. The solution was to graft European Grapes onto American Grape Roots. Thus European Grapes today have a European Top, and American roots.

Thus my comment on the roots, is is American Roots or European Roots? If American Roots not a problem, if European Roots, if you are in an area where Phylloxera exist it will die. Phylloxera exists in the Eastern US (Where it is Native), Europe (where it was introduced in 1863), Australia (Where it was introduced in 1877), California (Where it was introduced, through it is unknown when). Phylloxera does NOT seem to exist in Chile, Washington State or most of Australia (Excluding Victoria (Where it clearly does exist), New South Wales and maybe Queensland, where it might exist).

For more on Phylloxera:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phylloxera

[XemaSab]

10. My first recommendation

is to get some good CabSav, and toast your vines. To excess.

Hey, it can't hurt. :shrug: