Full Answer
Where was the Great Vine first planted?
The Great Vine was first planted in a glasshouse built to house Queen Mary's collections of exotics from the tropics. Its roots were planted outside, and its branches were trained inside the glasshouse, which measured 18 by 4 meters (60 by 13 feet).
What is the largest grape vine in the world?
The Great Vine, Vitis vinifera 'Schiava Grossa' (synonym: Black Hamburg), is now 250 years old and is the largest grape vine in the world.
What is the oldest vine in the world?
This is The Great Vine, which it’s now 252 years young. There are other candidates worldwide, some said to be older, but the Great Vine is Vitis Vinifera (the species of cultivated vine for winegrowing), and its age is fully authenticated from historical documents.
Why does the Great Vine have a glasshouse?
The Great Vine is probably lucky to have survived. However, it has a heated glasshouse all to itself. That’s because gardeners once thought that a single large vine would produce a more abundant crop. The roots are outside, with the plant’s upper part grown inside, using the glasshouse roof as a pergola.
Why do they call it the grapevine?
The interstate freeway came through in the late 1960s, creating a major economic link between the northern and southern parts of California. Given the curvy nature of the Ridge Route, it's not surprising that many think that the curlicues — like the tendrils of a grape plant — inspired the Grapevine name.
What is known as the grapevine?
The grapevine is a word for gossip. Anything heard on the grapevine was learned by word of mouth. In the Civil War, a grapevine telegraph was a gadget used for communicating. From there, people started talking about "the grapevine" as a source of information, especially gossip.
Why is the grapevine famous?
Before the road was straightened and widened during 1933–34 by the three-lane Ridge Route Alternate (US 99), the Grapevine was infamous for its high accident rate.
What is considered the grapevine in California?
Often, Angelenos refer to the 40-mile stretch, from just north of Castaic in Los Angeles County to the bottom of the grade where the I-5 enters the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, as “the Grapevine” (the orange and yellow portion of the I-5 in the map below).
What is grapevine with example?
When you hear from a friend-of-a-friend that your neighbor might be getting divorced, this is an example of a situation where you hear the news through the grapevine. A woody vine that bears grapes is an example of a grapevine.
What is the grapevine in public relations?
The 'grapevine' is the informal communication network found within every organization. It comprises the informal transmission of information, gossip or rumor from person to person.
Who planted the great vine?
Lancelot 'Capability' BrownTicketing information. The Great Vine, Vitis vinifera 'Schiava Grossa' (synonym: Black Hamburg), is now 250 years old and is the largest grape vine in the world. It was planted in 1768 while Lancelot 'Capability' Brown was in charge of the gardens at Hampton Court.
Where is the biggest grape vine in the world?
at Hampton Court PalaceThe Great Vine at Hampton Court Palace—the lavish estate of King Henry VIII and his many wives—is the largest grapevine in the world. First planted in 1768 for King George III, today its longest rod stretches for about 120 feet.
Where is the oldest vine in the world?
MariborŽametovka or modra kavčina (Bleu de Cologne), confirmed at 400 years of age, is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest vine in the world still producing fruit. The old vine was planted in Maribor at the end of the Middle Ages during the Turkish invasions.
What town is at the top of the Grapevine?
Tejon Summit is located on Interstate 5 approximately 70 miles north of Los Angeles, California. Tejon pass is often called the Grapevine, however, the Grapevine more correctly references the steep 5 1/2 mile grade section at the northern end of this pass....Base Elevation:1,531 ft.Number of Advisory Speed Curves:One8 more rows
How do you get to LA without the Grapevine?
So what's the best way to avoid the Grapevine when weather interferes? The California Department of Transportation suggests taking the 101 Freeway as an alternative to the 5. The 101 Freeway can be used as a detour around the Grapevine section of the 5 Freeway when it is closed by snow.
Where does the San Joaquin Valley start and end?
The San Joaquin Valley extends from the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta in the north to the Tehachapi Mountains in the south, and from the various California coastal ranges (from the Diablo Range in the north to the Temblor Range in the south) in the west to the Sierra Nevada in the east.
What is the Great Vine?
There are other candidates worldwide, some said to be older, but the Great Vine is Vitis Vinifera (the species of cultivated vine for winegrowing), and its age is fully authenticated from historical documents.
Where was the Great Vine planted?
The Great Vine. This grapevine was planted in 1768 at Hampton Court Palace, on the River Thames in London, by the famous landscaper Capability Brown. It bears fruit every year. Indeed, though it lives a pampered and sheltered life, it’s trained, pruned, and harvested like any other vine.
Where is Schiava Grossa from?
As Trollinger, it’s the most planted red grape variety in the Württemburg region of Germany and probably arrived there from the Südtirol.
How many grapes does a bottle of wine need?
If we use the rule of thumb that a bottle of wine needs 1-1.2 kg of grapes, it’s barely a barrel’s worth in an average year. Meanwhile, the Great Vine has outgrown its greenhouse several times. One constructed in the early 1900s had a public viewing area.
Why are there so few centurion vines?
However, there are relatively few Centurion vines. Partly that’s because they would often be uneconomic. But it’s also due to the devastations of phylloxera and fungal diseases in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. However, one candidate could be the Assyrtiko vines on the Greek island of Santorini.
Where is the oldest grapevine?
Surprisingly, the world’s oldest fully documented grapevine is thriving in London. This is The Great Vine, which it’s now 252 years young. There are other candidates worldwide, some said to be older, but the Great Vine is Vitis Vinifera (the species of cultivated vine for winegrowing), and its age is fully authenticated from historical documents.
How long do grape vines live?
Lifespan and survival. Meanwhile, a modern grapevine’s commercial lifespan is usually regarded as between 20-25 years, though many growers have vines far older, some over 100 years. Older vines are known for their ability to make exceptional quality grapes, even though their yields become much diminished.
Where did the vine come from?
The vine is also the oldest plant in the palace gardens, having come from a small cutting at Valentine's Park in Essex (which no longer survives). The Great Vine was first planted in a glasshouse built to house Queen Mary's collections of exotics from the tropics.
What is the oldest grape vine in the world?
The Great Vine in the Hampton Court Palace Gardens is the oldest and largest known vine in the world. Here's what the palace staff have to say about this remarkable grapevine: The Great Vine is more than 230 years old and 36.5 meters (120 feet) long. It is believed to have been planted by Lancelot "Capability" Brown around 1768, ...
How long does it take to remove grapes from vine?
It takes the Vine Keeper around three weeks to remove all the grapes. The crop averages 500 to 700 bunches of grapes that weigh 220 to 320 kg (507 to 705 lb). The largest recorded crops of grapes from the Vine were 1,800 bunches in 1798 and 2,245 bunches in 1807.
What were the grapes used for in the royal family?
The grapes, which are black and sweet, have always been used by the Royal household as dessert grapes . In 1930, however, George V started sending the grapes to hospitals, and within five years they were being sold to palace visitors.
When is the vine harvest?
The Vine usually blossoms in early May with small and fragrant flowers. The crop is usually harvested in September.
What is the first glasshouse built around a plant?
Both the frame that supports the Vine and the viewing gallery (still used by the general public) come from a 19th Century wooden vine house.

The Great Vine
Lifespan and Survival
- Meanwhile, a modern grapevine’s commercial lifespan is usually regarded as between 20-25 years, though many growers have vines far older, some over 100 years. Older vines are known for their ability to make exceptional quality grapes, even though their yields become much diminished. However, there are relatively few Centurion vines. Partly that’s because they would o…
History and Statistics
- In 1768, a cutting arrived at Hampton Court, from a mother-vine at Valentine’s Mansion in Ilford, Essex. By 1887 it was already 1.2 metres in circumference at the base. It’s now four metres, with the longest spur being 36.5 metres. That also makes it the largest grapevine in the world. The average crop of black grapes is 272 Kg. Exceptionally, the 2001 harvest was the biggest crop ev…
Schiava Grossa
- The Great Vine is a variety of Vitis Vinifera species, called Schiava Grossa. This red wine variety is from the Alto Adige(Südtirol) of northern Italy. Some wine critics are unkind to Schiava. However, given the right terroir, such as in the DOCs of Santa Maddelena or Lago di Caldaro, it makes a delightful light red wine for early drinking. Schiava...
Video
- Here’s an excellent YouTube video about the Great Vine. If you visit Hampton Court, do go and see this remarkable and venerable plant. Click here.