Vitis

Vitis (grapevines) is a genus of about 60 species of vining plants in the flowering plant family Vitaceae. The genus is made up of species predominantly from the Northern hemisphere. It is economically important as the source of grapes, both for direct consumption of the fruit and for fermentation to produce wine. The study and cultivation of grapevines is called viticulture.

All vines share the same basic, physiological features. The roots anchor the vine to the soil and serve as the conduit where nutrients and water from the soil are absorbed. Along with the trunk or "permanent wood" features, the roots also serve as storage reserve of carbohydrates which the vine can use for energy in the winter after the leaves have fallen and are no longer conducting photosynthesis. The function of photosynthesis in the grapevine is to produce glucose which can be combined with other molecules to form larger carbohydrates (such as cellulose) that can be used to create other structures in the vine, energy reserves for the plant and, for fruiting grapevines, can be concentrated in grape berries which contain the reproductive seeds of the vine and are more attractive to birds and other animals.

Grapevine (disambiguation)

Grapevine is the common name for plants of the genus Vitis. Other meanings include:

In Media:

Places:

Grapevine (gossip)

To hear something through the grapevine is to learn of something informally and unofficially by means of gossip or rumor.

The usual implication is that the information was passed person to person by word of mouth, perhaps in a confidential manner among friends or colleagues. It can also imply an overheard conversation or anonymous sources of information. For instance "I heard through the grapevine that Brad was getting fired."

Etymology

In his autobiography Up From Slavery, Booker T. Washington says that slaves in the South kept up-to-date on current events by "what was termed the 'grape-vine' telegraph."

However, the New York Public Library contests that the phrase derives from the infamous Grapevine Tavern in New York City's Greenwich Village. During the Civil War it "...was a popular hangout of Union officers and Confederate spies... It was the ideal place to get news and information, or in the case of spies and politicians, the ideal place to spread rumors and gossip, leading to the popular phrase 'heard it through the grapevine'."

Grapevine, Texas

Grapevine is a city located predominately in Tarrant County and has areas that extend into Dallas and Denton counties. The city is part of the Dallas Fort Worth Statistical Area and a significant part of the city limits are mostly within the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, with neighboring cities such as Coppell and Euless.

In recent years several wineries have opened in Grapevine, and the city has been very active in maintaining its historic downtown corridor. The city is adjacent to Grapevine Lake, a large reservoir impounded by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1952 and serves as both a source of water and recreational area. Part of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport is located within Grapevine city limits, the largest portion of any municipality bordering the facility. In 2007 CNNMoney.com rated Grapevine as one of "America's Best Places to Live."

History

In October 1843, General Sam Houston and fellow Republic of Texas Commissioners camped at Tah-Wah-Karro Creek, also known as Grape Vine Springs, to meet with leaders of 10 Indian nations. This meeting culminated in the signing of a treaty of "peace, friendship, and commerce," which opened the area for homesteaders. The settlement that emerged was named Grape Vine due to its location on the appropriately-named Grape Vine Prairie near Grape Vine Springs, both names an homage to the wild grapes that grew in the area.

Grapevine (disk magazine)

Grapevine was a disk magazine for the Commodore Amiga published by the demo scene group LSD. The first eight issues each came on a single floppy disk, but as the magazine became more popular and more articles were submitted by its readers, it required two to three disks per issue after that point. The editor of Grapevine was known as Parasite, later PaZZa/LSD. The magazine was originally coded by Monty Python, and then re-coded with a mouse driven interface later in the series by Shagratt.

Grapevine existed at a time when Internet use was not widespread in its native UK or abroad, and hence editions of the magazine were hotly traded amongst the demo scene. LSD sent out hundreds of floppy disk copies on each release, and most PD libraries at the time were keen to include the latest issues as soon as they were released. As a result of this, 17Bit PD library cut a deal with PaZZa to ensure distribution at a fair price, they were "paid" a box of 50 floppy disks per issue for this, which were used by LSD for file distribution (the days before modems for many people).

Grapevine (TV series)

Grapevine, created by David Frankel, premiered as a six-episode summer series on CBS on June 15, 1992. It was not renewed.

A revival of the series, with a different cast, premiered on CBS in February 2000, lasting five episodes.

1992 Series

Plot Synopsis

David owned a restaurant in Miami Beach on Ocean Drive. His girlfriend Susan worked for a cruise line. His brother Thumper was a sportscaster. The series was a 1990s take on Love, American Style in its couple-of-the-week format. Each episode presented the story of a couple, as told through short scenes interwoven with the regular characters, the couple, friends, associates talking to the camera about the couple as if speaking to an unseen interviewer. Editing allowed for jokes to be set up by one "interview" with the punch line delivered by another character, sometimes completely unrelated. Example: A husband who had sex with his estranged wife's sister says to the camera, "What we did wasn't a crime?" Quick cut to "People have been shot for less," in a medium Hispanic accent from a middle-aged City of Miami police officer first heard from earlier in the episode discussing a bizarre jewelry heist that ended with the female thief shot dead. The background music ranged from quiet jazz piano to, for outdoor scenes of relaxation and imbibing, a wailing saxophone.