While grapes have been used in production for thousands of years, it was not until the middle 1800’s that the Concord grape was first introduced. This special grape that is known for its’ deep purple color and robust aromas was named after the Village of Concord in the state of Massachusetts. Ephraim Wales Bull was the one who experimented with the seeds from wild grapes in the area and eventually came up with what is known as the Concord grape. Bull created this special grape to ripen as early as possible so there would be no danger of losing them to the harsh winter frosts of Massachusetts. After Bull entered his grapes in a horticultural exhibition and won, his grapes went on to become known worldwide.

Today, Concord grapes are still very well known and are being grown various places around the world. In some cases, people have started growing these lovely grapes for their ornamental value in their yards. Often, people create trellises or arbors to grow these grapes on and they often allow for a shady place to sit and add beauty to the surrounding landscape. Concord grapes are also grown for eating as well. There are a variety of food products that are made from these grapes including jellies, jams and raisins. The Concord grapes have a wonderful taste that makes them a great choice for these food products.

Another purpose of growing Concord grapes includes wine making, too. These robust grapes are used to make a variety of great tasting wines for the drinking pleasure of people around the world. While Concord grapes are not used by some as they tend to have a very fruity and sweet taste, there has been a revival of their use among a variety of small wineries. In recent years, they have been widely used for dessert wines and kosher wines, but more recently they have been used more and more for tables wines as well.

Since Concord grapes are only one kind of grape among many others, you may be wondering why this specific kind of grape is so popular. Shortly after Concord grapes became known worldwide, they were called “the grape for the millions.” This grape became quickly popular after its creation and is still very popular today because of its versatility and its amazing taste. Later in 1869 Dr. Thomas Bramwell Welch came up with the idea of making juice from Concord grapes and led to Welch’s grape juice, which has continued to make Concord grapes popular. Certain companies have also used Concord grapes for dessert wines, table wines and kosher wines, which has also increased the popularity of these grapes.

Yet another contribution to the popularity of Concord grapes have been recent scientific studies that show these grapes have excellent antioxidant properties and can lower the risk of heart disease. Now products that contain Concord grapes have been approved and recognized by the American Heart Association to significantly lower the occurrence of heart disease. These new findings have increased the consumption of Concord grape based products.

Concord grapes are very easy to grow and are mainly grown east of the Rockies. This type of grape can deal with the cooler temperatures of the north and they usually ripen earlier than most other types of grapes. Some of the states that produce large amounts of these grapes include New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan and even West Virginia. While Concord grapes may not be overly picky about the soil they grow in, they usually do better if there is adequate soil moisture during the growing season. Since these grapes are so easy to grow, they have become a productive crop to grow.

Danie
“The Grape Guy”

Want to grow a Concord, get your copy of the “Complete Grape Growers Guide” and I will show you how to.

http://www.my-grape-vine.com

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