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I don’t think there is any fruit as celebrated as the grape. Grapes and their fermented juice have thousands of years of history and throughout that enjoy a place at the tables of kings and peasants alike. The grape, in the form of wine can endure decades in storage and command thousands of dollars when offered for sale. The best for which other fruit might hope so long after harvest is the compost heap, but the grape endures. As Europeans explored the globe and established colonies on distant shores, the grape was one of the first species of plant they brought with them. Even Jesus used the drinking wine as a symbol of his shared blood. Surely, no other fruit has such a history of tradition and divinity.

Some say the apple’s history is a match for that of the grape. They tell of Johnny Appleseed’s cross-country journey, spreading the word and the apple across early America. They say that nothing is so American as mom and apple pie. They make apple butter and apple tarts, and some even turn the red fruit into a hard apple cider, but all these are still a poor substitute for the grape.

The grape has grown alongside the human civilization. Once a symbol of power and decadence as Roman Emperors were fed grapes by their servants, the grape has always been special. The robust curves of a well-fleshed bunch of grapes was a favorite model for the famous still life painters of France, its vibrant sensuality and mischievous personality brought to life with oil colors at the hand of the masters like Cezanne.

The grape has been adapted and cultivated to cater to a wide variety of palates. Cabernet, chablis, pinot noir, and chardonnay grapes are a few of the more well known families, but there are more than 600 varieties of cultivated grapes grown throughout the world including such little known scions as the rkatsiteli, the mtsvane, and the hondarrabi beltza.

Even before the advent of rapid transport and refrigeration, man developed methods of preserving the grape for long voyages in the form of raisins which can even be partially restored to nearly their original plump form by soaking in water. A true Lazarus of the fruit world.

Without getting into the whole transmogrification/ transubstantiation debate, wine has had a special place in church ceremonies even before the time of Christ. It’s mystical and spiritual properties have been appreciated for thousands of years.

As if all of that traditional and history weren’t enough, the grape just plain tastes good. There are lots of them in a bunch so they’re easy to share, and they make a terrific breakfast spread in the form of jellies and jams. The versatility of the grape is unmatched in the fruit world. Move over dogs, it may even be that grape is man’s best friend.