Grape seed oil

Cultivation & yield

The grapes are mainly used to make wine and juice. The grape seed oil obtained from the seeds, with an oil content of 6 - 20 %, plays a minor role. To produce 1 kg of grape seed oil approx. 50 kg of grape seeds are needed. The largest grape producers are China, Italy, USA, Spain and France.

The grapevine is one of the oldest cultivated plants. It was cultivated both by the Egyptians around 3,500 BC and by the Babylonians and Indians. Several Vitis species probably appeared in Europe during the Tertiary period, but only the Vitis vinifera survived the ice age in southern European and western Asian regions. Greeks and Romans cultivated viticulture; the latter brought it to Germany on their war campaigns, also to Britain. In Europe, countless varieties developed due to the most diverse climates. Today grapevines are spread all over the world. Historically, grape seed oil was first mentioned in 1569, when Emperor Maximilian granted a musician the privilege to produce grape seed oil.