|
In Tuscany, 130 varieties are registered with the regional gene bank, and
the University of Florence has been able to trace, in part by interviewing
farmers now in their eighties, some 278 varieties in various parts of Tuscany, of
which 161 yield red grapes. Among the best known native and foreign grape varieties grown in Tuscany are
mammolo,
malvasia, colorino,
sangiovese,
barbera, moscadella,
aleatico
and vernaccia.
To these a new and potentially extremely interesting range are being added.
Some, such as abrusco are relatively well-known, while others such as oliva,
santo stefano, uva vecchia and giacomino were until recently bordering on extinction.
A recent success story is the recovery of the pugnitello grape variety,
so-called because the grape cluster resembles a fist (pugno). The last surviving
vine was found near Grosseto
and the recovered seeds were planted in the experimental San Felice vineyard
near Castelnuovo
Berardenga. Eighteen vines were selected and propagated to yield 9,800 bottles of a vigorous
and dry red wine. This is an example of a recovered variety that is suitable
not just for blending but which produces an excellent wine as the principal
constituent.
More about wine grape varieties of
Tuscany.
|
)
