Are there really "rainbow grapes"?

Arcoriris grapes. You may have heard of them or even that your eyes have once blinked in amazement at that festival of suggestive colors in a single cluster of grapes. But are they an authentic variety that we can find in stores? And even more ... where can we buy them? Would it be possible to include them in our end of the year parties in order to accompany each stroke with a grape of different color?

Today in Supercurioso we reveal the enigma of the famous "rainbow grapes"

What is the mystery of the "rainbow grapes"?
Surely there are many times you have stumbled upon these suggestive images. They seem like forbidden fruits, just by imagining a grapevine field bordered up this type of grapes, stories like Alice's in Wonderland immediately come to mind . But is it real? Or are they perhaps simple retouched photos with the ever-recurring Photoshop ? The theme of the rainbow grapes is a half truth or if you prefer, a partial lie wrapped in a small "urban legend".

First of all we have to tell you that it is better not to include them in the celebration of the year-end bells, if you are one of those who celebrate this tradition. And because? Because the taste will be simply horrible, since they are not ripe. The mystery lies in a custom on the part of those who love photography and nature. Surely you usually photograph those trees that with the arrival of autumn are wearing fascinating colors. While some let their leaves fall to their skirts or on the floors of our forests or cities, others shine with ocher, garnet and striking brown tones.

Something similar happens in the world of the vine. The grapes undergo a maturation stage better known as "veraison" and we assure you that it is fascinating. It is the time of the coloration of the grape, a period of time in which, if for example the variety of the grape is white , it will go through a coloration that will go from green to yellow. But if on the contrary, the variety is ink , the coloration will flow between attractive green tones, then light red, to a more intense ... to derive the classic strong purple so attractive to our eyes and delicious to our palate.

The famous "rainbow grapes" are not any variety of grapes. Not at all, it's just a natural process that many sommeliers love to observe to intuit what the wine harvest of that year will look like. The veraison is a celebration of the colors in the vineyards, where we can observe those immature grapes that still maintain their dark green tones , with a very hard texture. Little by little, the sun goes through their bodies to give them more sweetness and new colors, ranging from yellow to pink, from light green to purple.The veraison will end when the bunch is fully ripe, at which time we can hold in our hands that natural treasure in which all the grapes shine with the same color.

So, we reiterate. There is no such thing as the "rainbow grape" variety, and we reiterate it because there have been cases of people selling these alleged seeds on the Internet, believing that they are "hybrid grapes", unique varieties that will decorate our gardens and delight us with their flavor in our dishes. And it is not true, just as many of the images circulating on the web are not true either, since they are digitally altered to exaggerate these colorations. The veraison is undoubtedly the best time of the year to take photos of the clusters of grapes on your vine, but the show is not as "fantastic" as we are led to believe. Still, it's worth seeing.