Nancha Mountain Grapes

Nancha Mountain Grapes

　　Mountain grapes, also known as wild grapes, are deciduous woody vines of the grape family and are ancient relic plants from the Tertiary period. There are about 70 species of wild grapes worldwide, nearly 30 of which originated in China. In particular, the mountain grapes found in the three northeastern provinces of China—especially those in the Changbai Mountain area of Jilin Province—can withstand temperatures below -40°C, making them the most cold-resistant among all grape species. They are an extremely valuable genetic resource for breeding new cold-resistant grape varieties and have garnered attention from grape breeders around the world. They are also one of the excellent cold-resistant rootstocks used for grape cultivation in provinces such as Jilin and Heilongjiang.

　　Mountain grapes are highly valuable for both culinary and medicinal purposes. The fruit of the mountain grape is used as a raw material for making wine. The resulting wine has a deep, rich red color, excellent flavor, and high nutritional value. Mountain grape wine contains various health-promoting compounds such as proanthocyanidins and resveratrol, which offer anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, and heart disease-preventing properties, as well as boosting the body’s immune system. It is a natural green beverage with significant nutritional and health benefits. As public awareness of health continues to rise, green foods and organic products that are “nutritious, safe, and return to nature” are becoming increasingly popular. Therefore, wine made from mountain grape juice is the preferred drink for health-conscious individuals. The seeds of the mountain grape can be pressed for oil, yielding an oil extraction rate of 4.66%. The grape skins can be used to make vinegar, and by-products from wine production can be processed to extract potassium sodium tartrate, tartaric acid, and more—truly making it a plant with value in every part. The fruit, roots, vines, and tendrils of the mountain grape can all be used medicinally. They have a sweet, slightly sour and astringent taste, a neutral nature, and are non-toxic. When taken internally, they help dispel wind and dampness, detoxify and reduce swelling, clear heat and promote urination, cool blood and stop bleeding, relax tendons, disperse blood stasis, and unblock meridians. They are mainly used to treat diarrhea, summer fatigue and body aches, edema in children, rheumatic lumbar pain, otitis media, damp-phlegm stagnation, skin rashes, arthralgia due to wind-dampness, unexplained swellings and toxins, abscesses and sores, bruises and swelling, external injuries with blood stasis, and rheumatic edema. Recent medical research has shown that when the seeds are processed through nano-ultrafine grinding, they can be consumed for their anti-cancer properties.