Review: Research progress in amur grape, Vitis amurensis Rupr.

Vitis amurensis Rupr., which originates in China and has several important traits, such as cold- and disease-resistance, is now commercially cultivated in China. Vitis amurensis has a strong root system and high growth vigor allowing it to survive temperatures as low as 40 C without the need to bury its vines, saving inputs in vineyard management. During growth, V. amurensis vines have high resistance to many diseases, such as grape white rot and grape anthracnose, and are thus often used as a disease-resistant stock as well as the most powerful cold-resistant rootstock to breed materials for novel cultivars. As a wine grape, the fruit fragrance and distinctive taste are unique for making high quality red and sweet wines, which have a brilliant ruby red color, fine fragrance, and a full-bodied and distinctive taste. Vitis amurensis grapes and the wines made from them contain abundant bioactive natural substances, which have important effects on lowering human blood pressure, antioxidation, anti-aging, cardiovascular disease prevention, etc. The present article addresses research progress and the utilization of V. amurensis achieved in the past decades. Further studies are proposed.