The history of grapes stretches back not hundreds of years, but thousands and thousands of years. Grapes have long been part of the human diet, first as fruits picked by hunters and gatherers, and then as wine. They are thought to have originated in the Black Sea region. They were then cultivated in Ancient Mesopotamia, and spread to the Eastern Mediterranean thanks to the Phoencians, a seafaring people from present-day Lebanon, who then aided their distribution around the Mediterranean basin. They were a staple in Roman and Greek times, with both cultures having special deities designated to the harvest of grapes and making of wine. Grapes then made their way to the New World in the 17th Century, where they were planted at New Mexican missions, before reaching California, where they are part of a major wine industry today.

Grapes are a great Fall fruit to include in your diet, because they are rich in antioxidants that protect against heart disease and high cholesterol. The phytonutrients responsible for their color are called flavonoids, and are the indicators of their antioxidant powers. Red wine has gotten much press lately about its health benefits, but eating grapes out of hand offers similar protection, without the adverse effects of alcohol. The rule of thumb is that the darker and more intense the color, the more protection these fruits offer. The skins and seeds have been recently noted to play a role in inhibiting mammary tumors, thus possibly offering protection against breast cancer.

During the Autumn season you will find lots of fun grape varieties at farmers markets, the most common being the Concord grape. This sweet and quintessentially American variety was first cultivated by a man named Ephraim Wales Bull in Concord, Massachusetts, hence the epithet, back in the early 19th Century. We recommend you try eating local grapes out of hand, or integrating them into both sweet and savory recipes for the benefits of both health and flavor.