A peek at the Vitis family tree

This is a very interesting chart.  It is too big to display here.  Please click on the link and locate monticola, rupestris and vinifera.

It comes from the article, "A phylogenetic analysis of the grape genus (Vitis L.) reveals broad reticulation and concurrent diversification during neogene and quaternary climate change", by
Yizhen Wan, (lead author)
Heidi R Schwaninger,
Angela M Baldo,
Joanne A Labate,
Gan-Yuan Zhong,
Charles J Simon

According to the chart, which uses DNA evidence to track several million years of grape migrations, it seems the family tree of the vines we know of as 'vinifera' (Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, etc.) started off in the North American gulf region.  Members of this gene pool split off and crossed what is now the western deserts and then hopped to Asia, probably using the land bridge across the Bering Straight. In fact, this migration seems to have crossed through Texas, since some of the earliest groups to split off stayed in the Texas hill country (monticola).  Based on this work, one of the closest North American relatives to the vinifera gene pool seems to be rupestris, a wild vine found across the American south, including Glen Rose.