Madrasa (grape)

Madrasa (Azerbaijani: Mədrəsə, also known as Matrassa and Madrasi) is a pink-skinned red grape variety cultivated in the southern Caucasus at least since the nineteenth century, in particular in Azerbaijan and Armenia, as well as several Central Asia countries. Most plantings of Madrasa are found near the Caspian Sea in Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Origins and specifics

Madrasa is indigenous to the village of Madrasa, located in Shamakhi Rayon, Azerbaijan. This variety falls into the sweet grape category. It is claimed that Madrasa was grown as early as the 15th century. In the beginning of the 20th century, the Madrasa variety was brought to the Ganjabasar region of Azerbaijan. The vines are midsize, and have strong roots and sharp leaves. The grapes are round and thick-skinned. Madrasa grapes mature in the beginning of September in Shamakhi, and in August in Ganja. The concentration of sugar ranges from 23-24% in Shamakhi and 20-21% in Ganja.

Wines

During the crushing and fermentation, 50% of the spirit is recovered. Widely sold "Giz Galasi" (Maiden Tower), "Yeddi Gozal" (Seven Beauties), "Gara Gila" and "Naznazi" wines are made from Madrasa. "Xan Madrasa" red table wine produced by Vinagro is made by fermentation of Madrasa grape juice. The grapes are grown in Goygol and Samukh districts of Azerbaijan, and squashed for juice. The wine is then stored for two years. Its alcoholic content is 9-14%. Xan Madrasa was awarded 2 gold and 1 bronze medals at the International Wine Contest of Monde Selection.

Grape

A grape is a fruiting berry of the deciduous woody vines of the botanical genus Vitis.

Grapes can be eaten raw or they can be used for making wine, jam, juice, jelly, grape seed extract, raisins, vinegar, and grape seed oil. Grapes are a non-climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters.

History

The cultivation of the domesticated grape began 6,000–8,000 years ago in the Near East.Yeast, one of the earliest domesticated microorganisms, occurs naturally on the skins of grapes, leading to the innovation of alcoholic drinks such as wine. The earliest archeological evidence for a dominant position of wine-making in human culture dates from 8,000 years ago in Georgia. The oldest winery was found in Armenia, dating to around 4000 BC. By the 9th century AD the city of Shiraz was known to produce some of the finest wines in the Middle East. Thus it has been proposed that Syrah red wine is named after Shiraz, a city in Persia where the grape was used to make Shirazi wine. Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics record the cultivation of purple grapes, and history attests to the ancient Greeks, Phoenicians, and Romans growing purple grapes for both eating and wine production. The growing of grapes would later spread to other regions in Europe, as well as North Africa, and eventually in North America.

Shades of violet

There are numerous variations of the color violet, a sampling of which are shown below.

Variations of the color violet

Variations of spectral violet

Although pure spectrum violet is outside the color gamut of the RGB color space, the three colors displayed below are rough approximations of the range of colors of actual spectral violet, although the accuracy of the approximation can vary depending on the individual's color vision, and on the color rendition of one's computer monitor.

Color wheel violet

The tertiary color on the HSV color wheel (also known as the RGB color wheel) precisely halfway between blue and magenta is called color wheel violet. This tone of violet—an approximation of the color violet at about 417 nanometers as plotted on the CIE chromaticity diagram—is shown at right. This tone of violet is actually somewhat toward indigo assuming indigo is accepted as a separate spectrum color, usually quoted as having a range of from about 420 to 450 nanometers. Another name for this color is near violet.

Grape (disambiguation)

A grape is a fruit that grows on the vines of plants in the genus Vitis.

Grape may also refer to:

See also