Grapes are a favorite snack because they’re so delicious and easy to eat. Wash a cluster and you’re ready to go! But did you know that grapes are among the healthiest foods you can eat? They’re high in vitamin C and contain compounds that keep your heart healthy.
Fun Facts
- Leif Erikson, the Viking explorer, discovered wild grapes growing in North America.
- Grapes are known for their heart-healthy properties.
- Grapes grow on beautiful, vining plants. The plants need trellises or fences to support their heavy vines.
- The grapes we eat fresh are different than those used for making juice and wine.
- Some grapes, such as the Concord grape, grow well in cold climates. Wine grapes need warm weather. They grow in places like Colorado, southern Utah, or western Colorado.
- There are more than 8,000 kinds of grapes. Spanish explorers brought European grapes to America.
- Raisins are dried grapes.
- Grapes come in many colors, including purple, black, blue, red, pink, or green. Some grapes have edible seeds, which are full of antioxidants. Other grapes are seedless.
- Grapes are a type of berry.
- Grapes and raisins are toxic to dogs.
Vocabulary
- Trellis: a wooden structure
- Toxic: poisonous
Questions and Answers
Question: How are wine and juice grapes different than table grapes?
Answer: Wine and juice grapes are smaller and sweeter. They have seeds, thick skins, and a stronger flavor. Table grapes are large, thin-skinned, and mildly flavored.
Learn More
Watch a California grape harvest.
