The band was formed by bassist/vocalist Charlie Lonsdorf along with drummer Preston Holcomb. Early guitarists included Danny Simmons, Katie Moore (of Deep Blue Sun), Johnny Tessavarie who suggested the band be called The Dreadful Grapes. This name was used by Ken Kesey to introduce The Grateful Dead at a show they played in Oregon in the seventies. Early influences for The Grapes and a large share of the early covers they played were songs by The Dead, Bob Dylan, and assorted other groups from the sixties and seventies.

After Tessavarie left the group, he was replaced by guitarist/songwriter Romin Dawson. At this point, the band dropped the Dreadful from their name and went through more line-up changes, eventually picking up lead guitarist Mike 'Ted' Norton along the way, as well as a second drummer/percussionist Steve Baird. Faced with rising popularity and being under legal age to play in clubs, they found theaters and warehouses to rent, distributed flyers, hired security, and put on shows at venues such as The Arts Exchange, The Trinity Gallery and the East Point Theater.

The band began branching out in 1987, and 1988 playing dates around the southeast and nearby towns such as Athens, Georgia, where they traded off Monday shows at the Uptown Lounge with jam band heavyweights Widespread Panic.
At the end of 1990, the band added Steven Fink, keyboards/vocals, and immediately went in the studio with John Keane (Indigo Girls, Widespread Panic, R.E.M.) to begin work on their debut album 'Water To Wine', on their own Earwise label. At this point, percussionist Rick Welsh took over the second drummer duties.

With the success of their second album in 1992,'High Or Low', as well as being included on the Aware compilation album, the band toured constantly, averaging 250 dates a year, sharing the stage with diverse acts ranging from Iron Butterfly to Phish, The Funky Meters to Mudhoney.

They were the only band to play all seven of the Great Atlanta Pot Festival, including the 1992 show at Piedmont Park with The Black Crowes. With 60,000 attending, that show stands as the largest hemp rally to date. In 1993 the band signed with Intersound Records, releasing their 3rd album 'Private Stock'. Tensions and personal matters saw the exit of Dawson and Holcomb around this time. For a year (1995), the band toured as a four piece before adding Brooks Smith in 1996.

They released their final album, 'Juice' in 1997.
Since 1998, they have played five times, with all eight members playing, the most recent show being 11-28-08 at The Variety Playhouse in Atlanta, Ga.