From slices of Beefsteak on caprese salads, to heirloom pasta sauce, (and everything in-between) the tomato is an integral staple in our Wine Country diet. But behind the shiny red skin lurks an International Fruit of Mystery.

Here are 10 fun facts you probably didn’t know about tomatoes:

1. It’s estimated that there are over 25,000 tomato varieties

2. Over 90% of gardeners in America grow tomatoes

3. We eat close to 25 pounds of tomatoes per year

4. The botanical name is Lycopersicon lycopersicum, which means, “Wolf Peach”

5. Tomatoes originate in South America

6. China is the largest producer of tomatoes followed by the US

7. California produces over 95% of the tomatoes processed in the US

8. Florida is the largest producer of fresh market tomatoes

9. The largest tomato on record was grown in 1986 in Oklahoma and weighed 7 lbs. 12 oz.

10. The largest tomato plant on record was grown in a greenhouse in Florida and produced over 32,000 tomatoes in the first 16 months

Want to learn more about tomatoes while experiencing great wine? Join us this summer for the Annual Kendall-Jackson Heirloom Tomato Festival.