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The Iberian Peninsula constitutes the Western limit of the dioecious Eurasian wild grapevine (Vitis vinifera L. subsp. sylvestris). At present, it is a threatened plant, due to human impacts. This liana has had different uses in this territory from the Paleolithic until the end of the last century, including several medicinal applications, inherited from the classical Greek culture. In order to retrieve the available written information, we carried out an exhaustive bibliographic search of the pharmacopoeia linked to this Vitaceae, from the 16th century to the present day. Current references on chemical composition of different parts of grapevine and their medicinal uses were also covered. In parallel, we conducted research in several archives and made inquiries to historians, anthropologists, and sanitary personnel. We also interviewed elderly people from rural areas of Spain and Portugal where some relic populations of wild grapevine are still conserved. Among the written and oral medicinal uses compiled, the main ones are: the use of the grapevine bleeding water to alleviate eczema and skin eruptions and to combat conjunctivitis and keratitis; the use of must from unripe berries (agua de agraz in Spanish) as liver tonic and to treat digestive diseases; the leaves were used to reduce edema, as antihemorrhoidal, and for menopausal disorders; and finally, the vinegar was used to clean and disinfect wounds both on humans and animals. This paper highlights the tremendous erosion of the traditional knowledge about this relevant plant genetic resource.

Grapevine domestication took place in the Caucasus area known as the Cradle of Viticulture, within or near the geographical area known as the Vavilov Triangle. The phytogenetic resources of Vitis sylvestris C.C.Gmel. have been previously collected and characterized, but the study on micro vinifications of wild grapevines from the Caucasus is new. In the present document, seven grape samples from female individuals of wild grapevine growing in the South Caucasus region were investigated to assess their oenological profile. Wine samples were obtained from the grapes collected from various populations of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia in October 2013 and fermented by the native yeasts. Parameters determined in the wines were, among others, concentration of ethanol (3.63% – 10.15%), pH (3.30 – 4.20), total acidity (1.2 – 10.7 g/L of tartaric acid), total polyphenol index (1.81 – 89.8), and color intensity (2.59 – 20.76). This wide range values is due to the different environmental conditions, the level of ripeness of harvested grapes and their genetic diversity. These data were compared with those obtained in micro vinifications of wild grapevines in Western Europe and wines of several international cultivars. The results of our research demonstrated, that the must of wild grape could be used to improve traditional wines giving to them more coloration.