Terroir Journal

Today, two species grape vines are being cultivated for wine; Vitis vinifera, which is native to the old world, and Vitis Labrussca, which is native to the new. With grapes now being grown on every continent except antarctica, these species grow as evolutionary success stories with genetic roots 65 million years old.

Vinifera, the vine species from which 99% of modern wines are produced, is a native of central Eurasia, specifically the Mediterranean countries.(Arroyo-Garcia, 2006) Subspecies exist as both domesticated and wild varieties, the difference being wild strains lack the ability to self fertilize. (Arroyo-Garcia, 2006)  The Domestication of v. vinifera first occurred between 4000 and 7000 B.C,. in areas close the modern day countries of Georgia and Iran. (De Andres, 2006)  Evidence has been found showing wine production began at the same time. From the middle east the vine  was slowly spread west by humans, first appearing in countries such a Spain, Portugal, Italy and France 3000 years ago. (Terral, 2010) From The modern, domestic varieties, of which there are between 5000-10000, a select few have come to dominate the commercial market. These include Cabernet, Chardonnay, Merlot, Riesling, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Gris.

Vitis Labrussca, the species native to the east coast of North America, was not commercially cultivated until 1849, when Ephraim Wales Bull bred the Concord variety. Although almost all fruit modern fruit production of V. Labrussca is done in the United States, the rootstock is used in grafting worldwide, as it is more resistant to the North American pests and diseases that are now present globally.

Arroyo-García, R., et al. “Multiple Origins Of Cultivated Grapevine ( Vitis Vinifera L. Ssp. Sativa) Based On Chloroplast DNA Polymorphisms.” Molecular Ecology 15.12 (2006): 3707-3714. Environment Complete. Web. 5 Nov. 2015.

DE ANDRES, M. T. “Genetic Diversity of Wild Grapevine Populations in Spain and Their Genetic Relationships with Cultivated Grapevines.” Molecular Ecology 21 (2006): 800-16. Researchgate.net. Web. 31 Oct. 2015.
TERRAL, Jean-Frédéric et al. “Evolution and History of Grapevine (Vitis Vinifera) under Domestication: New Morphometric Perspectives to Understand Seed Domestication Syndrome and Reveal Origins of Ancient European Cultivars.” Annals of Botany 105.3 (2010): 443–455. PMC. Web. 31 Oct. 2015.

Native to the lowland rainforests of South America, Theobroma Cacao is a fairly particular tree when it comes to growing requirements and soil science. Cacao thrives in climates with high humidity and requires an annual rainfall of at least 1500 mm. The tree will not survive outside of the 10-20 degree belt around the equator, where the conditions for cultivation are ideal. Cacao grows best in loose, coarse material (for good drainage and root growth) with high nutrient levels and organic matter content to at least a depth of 1.5 meters. The best soils are roughly 50% sand, 30-40% clay, and 10-20% silt sized particles (Mommer, 15) It is not a drought tolerant plant and needs consistent moisture for the roots; the tree will be at risk of death if it goes longer than three months without at least 100mm rain. Adversely, the tree is also sensitive to too much water, and requires proper drainage, otherwise problems such as fungus can develop. The nutrient requirements are mainly that of the three big micronutrients (Nitrogen, Phosphorous, and Potassium) in high quantities and slightly smaller amounts of magnesium and calcium.  Cacao will tolerate soil ranging from 4.0 to 7.5 in pH, but prefers just slight acidity, with an ideal pH level of 6.5.

http://www.icco.org/about-cocoa/growing-cocoa.html – growing requirements

http://www.fao.org/3/a-46562e.pdf – soil selection