The vine in a wild state is present in North Africa since prehistory as the traces found in the layers of quaternary by the geologists prove it. Pline the Old one mentions this African wild vine whose one made medical uses. The varieties autochtones standard Asli and Tounsi complantées on the islands of Kerkenah, the variety Bazzoul Khadem and Bidh Hemem of the areas of Gabes and Mednine, the Sakasli variety and turki of the areas of Siliana and Kef; went up extremely probably at that time.

It is in Phéniciens, benches with Carthage, that returns the merit to have diffused the African ground vine growing. The Tunisian vine crossed the animated periods of Byzantine, Arab or Turkish domination. To the XIXème century, the arrival of the French and Italian colonists gave an impulse to the restoration of the Tunisian wine potential.

 

From the Seventies, the Tunisian producers carried their passion on the use of Mediterranean type of vines standard Muscat of Italy, cardinal, Muscat of Alexandria… which gave excellent products and even in certain areas the soil effect gave characters specific to the products obtained. It is the case of the famous muscatel of Alexandria of the area of Rafraf.

The vine extends today in the northern coastal area from the country where it profits from favorable climatic conditions. The introduction of new type of vines especially apyrenes and the pedoclimatic exploitation of the potential supported the extension of the production zones towards the areas of the south with the use of early type of vines to obtain a production of grapes going from the beginning of June at the end of July and towards the areas of north by using late type of vines and a technological package supporting the delay of maturity to spread out the production of the grapes until December.

For the table grapes, the concept of precocity is very relative. A type of vine without pips is early if the maturity of the fruits occurs at the beginning of June. A type of vine with pip whose maturity of the fruits is reached during July is always regarded as early.

The average date of maturity is very dependant on the zone of culture. Cultivated in the south, a type of vine gives a production earlier than if it were cultivated in north.

Early varieties:

type of vines without pips:

*Early Superior seedless: White type of vine of American origin, with early maturity at the end of June. In the center-south it matures as from the 2nd week of June. It gives a relatively large bay without pips.

*Superior seedless: White type of vine of American origin. Apyrene variety, early, with bay of size means, color green, gilded with maturity, taste slightly aromatized, bunch of rather large size. Period of maturity: at the end of June.

*Sultanine: This type of vine presents a bunch large, winged, enough compacts. The bay, with thin film, is small with average, ellipsoid, gilded yellow with maturity, without pips. Maturity at the end of July.

2 – type of vines with pips:

*Cardinal: The bunch is large and loose. The bay is large, of spherical form and red color with black. Maturity at the beginning of July in the North and at the end of June in the south of the littoral.

*Reine of the vines: The bunch is average cylindrical and coward. The bay rather large, yellow is gilded, with thick skin, crunching flesh and slightly musky taste. Maturity at the beginning of July.

*Perlette: The bunch is large, conical, enough compacts. The bay without pips is of average size to small, spherical gilded yellow with maturity. Maturity 2nd fortnight of July.

 

Calendar of production of the early varieties
table grapes cultivated in Tunisia

Varieties

June

July

August

Early superior seedless

superior seedless

Sultanine

Cardinal

Queen of the vines

Perlette

Other varieties:

* Red Earth: Grape of very top-of-the-range whose culture is very easy. The formation of a treillised vineyard is very pretty and impressive by the size of the bunches often exceeding kg. The bay is large of spherical form and weighs approximately 9-10 gr., of reddish color and soft savor. It crunching and is very sweetened.

* Muscatel of Italy: Variety of season, resulting from a crossing (bicane X Muscatel of Hamburg). Variety characterized by rather large bunches, not very compact, buttered yellow color, gilded with the sun and crunching with good aptitude for transport. Heavy crop is carried out in August at September.

* Muscatel of Alexandria Rafraf: white grape crunching and sweetened, lengthened grains, demanding in heat, is preserved well,

* King’ S ruby: Apyrene variety, late, with rather small bay prepares well with drying, of reddish color, its production is abundant. Period of manufacture: October-November.

Believed grape (food value for 100g) water: 80,54 G total ashes: 0,48 G fibers: 0,9 G proteins: 0,72 G lipids: 0,16 G glucids: 18,10 G energy value: 69 kcal simple sugars: 15,48 G   trace elements calcium: 10 Mg iron: 0,36 Mg magnesium: 7 Mg potassium: 191 Mg copper: 0,127 Mg sodium: 2 Mg phosphorus: 20 Mg zinc: 0,07 Mg   vitamins vitamin C: 10,8 Mg B1 vitamin: 0,069 Mg B2 vitamin: 0,070 Mg B5 vitamin: 0,050 Mg B6 vitamin: 0,086 Mg B9 vitamin: 0 µg vitamin a: 66 UI rétinol: 0 µg vitamin E: 0,19 µg B3 vitamin: 0,188 Mg B12 vitamin: 0,00 µg vitamin K: 14,6 µg fatty-acids saturated: 0,054 G mono-unsaturates: 0,007 G poly-unsaturates: 0,048 G cholesterol: 0 Mg    

Rich person in vitamins has, B and C, the grape contains about all trace elements in a perfectly assimilable balance by the organization. Energetics, reminéralisant, detoxicating, refreshing, laxative, the grape has also an effect on the memory, the renewal of the cells or the protection of the blood-vessels.