The vine is one of the oldest plants on the planet, whose remotes fossils date back more than 120 million years ago. It has been part of human civilization since ancient times, with many indications of its use for consumption and cultivation in various archaeological and historical sites. Until today, the vine is very present in modern society, with great socio-economic and cultural importance in many countries. The taxonomy of the genus Vitis has been the subject of a lot of discussion, however it is generally considered to comprise two distinct sections: Muscadinia and Euvitis. It is clear that genus Vitis shows an impressive genetic variability for many agronomic characteristics being strongly conditioned by the climatic and soil conditions where the plants are implanted. Thus, written by a group of international viticulture researchers, “Vitis: Biology and Species” is a book that provides up-to-date reviews, overviews and summaries of current research on the most recent developments in Vitis species characterization, biology and composition. This book is composed by thirteen chapters that provide current research on different topics of recent knowledge about native grape varieties from different origins, the impact of different climatic and soil conditions on vine managements, the description of the main grapevines disease and their control, grape varieties composition and the use of modern digital technologies on viticulture. By reading this book, readers can find an excellent description of the state-of-the art information and perspectives regarding to the most recent studies on the different dimensions of Vitis plants production. This new book is an important publication, which will be of great use to winegrowers, vine and wine scientists, students and other professionals that might be interested in reading and learning about some fascinating areas of vine research and discovery the most recent tendencies of vine biology and species.
