Starting in the 1870s, Thomas Volney Munson, a Texas viticulturist, identified 31 undiscovered grape species, all but three indigenous to the U.S. Two of the best known are Vitis riparia, which played a role in the creation of “French-hybrids” like Frontenac and Baco Noir, and Vitis labrusca, known for grapes like Concord and Niagara.
