Propagation of grapes is usually by taking dormant cuttings, planting them vertically in a coarse, sandy growing medium and allowing them to take root. Results will be visible in spring when the plant breaks dormancy.
The sultana raisin was traditionally imported to the English-speaking world from the Ottoman Empire. According to popular folklore from the Empire, the sultana was invented when the Sultan left his grapes in the sun after fleeing a tiger attack, hence the name sultana, from the feminine form of sultan. (Which historical Sultan is referenced to in the story is unclear, so this may just be folk myth.) Turkey and Australia are major producers.1
The sultana grape is cultivated in the United States under the name Thompson Seedless, named after William Thompson, a viticulturist who was an early grower in California and is sometimes credited with the variety’s introduction. According to the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, the two names are synonymous. Virtually all of California raisin production (approximately 97% in 2000) and roughly one-third of California’s total grape area is of this variety, making it the single most widely-planted variety. 1
Sultanina, Thompson Seedless