THE VARIETAL IDENTIFICATION AND CHARACTERISATION WORK OF THE 'ISTITUTO SPERIMENTALE PER LA VITICOLTURA' IN THE PAST FIFTEEN YEARS

Abstract

At the end of 1980 the Istituto Sperimentale per la Viticoltura began a series of research studies to define the exact characterisation of grapevines grown in Italy. The problem, which has always been clear to ampelographers, was and is particularly important in Italy, due to the large number of native cultivars, the presence of imported foreign vines and the different names used. To define as precise a methodology as possible, contributions from different studies were integrated. The following methods were therefore adopted: - study of cultivars history; - ampelographic analysis; - ampelometric analysis based on techniques set up in Italy; - biochemical analyses (isozymes); - chemical analyses (on berry microstructure); - molecular analyses. The following results have been achieved so far: - Carmenere cultivation definition and clearing up; by mistake, it had been identified in Italy as Cabernet franc; - clearing up the Tocai friulano identity, which resulted as being the old cultivar Sauvignonasse; - identity of Primitivo and Zinfandel; - identity of Verdicchio, Trebbiano verde, Trebbiano di Soave and Trebbiano di Lugana; - identity of Garnacha tinta, Grenache, Cannonao and Tocai rosso; - identity of Aglianico and Aglianico del Vulture; - identity of Aglianicone and Ciliegiolo; - identity of Prugnolo, Morellino di Scansano and Sangiovese; - differentiation of Prosecco tondo and Prosecco lungo; - differentiation of Fiano and Fiano aromatico; - differentiation of Negro amaro and Negro amaro precoce; - differentiation of Corvina veronese and Corvinone; - classification and characterisation of Muscats. Work is in progress on other important cultivars, such as Falanghine, Greci, Refoschi, Malvasie.