The quince is the sole member of the genus Cydonia in the family Rosaceae. The name originated from a town in the north-west of Crete, called Kydonia.

The quince is native to the rocky slopes and woodland margins of the Caucasus and was introduced to Europe in the 9th century.

Due to the shape of the fruit the two existing genera are called apple quince and pear quince.

The thermophile deciduous quince tree is famous for its attractive, pale pink flavored blossom, which appears in May after the leaves. Depending on the weather during the summer the fruit reaches maturity in late autumn when the fruit changes color from green to yellow with hard, strongly perfumed flesh. After rubbing off the pubescence the extremely aromatic flesh, which contains a high amount of vitamin C, can be eaten raw.

The quince can be used for making juice, jam, tea and jelly. or, as we do, for the production of sparkling wine.

The quince and its seeds are also well known for its favorable effect on health.