Wild Grapevine Populations Research Articles

Insights into Medieval Grape Cultivation in Al-Andalus: Morphometric, Domestication, and Multivariate Analysis of Vitis vinifera Seed Types

Understanding the origins and evolution of modern grapevine varieties in the Iberian Peninsula and western Europe necessitates an examination of the proportions of Vitis vinifera cultivars, their relationships with wild grapevine populations, and the utilization of seedless cultivars in al-Andalus. Employing morphometric studies, domestication indices, multivariate analysis, and Bayesian hypothesis testing, this study investigates several distinct seed types identified in materials from Roman and medieval deposits. These seeds exhibit a spectrum from highly domesticated to purely wild. Our findings reveal the predominance of Proles Occidentalis Negrul, and the presence of feral-like grapevines associated with Proles Euphratica. Additionally, we observe the continuous presence of wild grapevines related to Vitis sylvestris CC Gmelin throughout the studied period. Seeds exhibiting intermediate characteristics are documented, alongside the identification of “stenosperms”, suggesting anomalies in seed formation. Notably, the presence of Vitis vinifera raisins “stenospermocarpics” of the sultana type is suggested, potentially elucidating the absence of table grapes and raisins of the Proles Orientalis Negrul in the archaeological record, despite frequent mentions by medieval agronomy writers from al-Andalus.

A Multidisciplinary Study of Wild Grapevines in the River Crati Natural Reserve, South Italy (Calabria): Implications in Conservation Biology and Palaeoecological Reconstructions

Nowadays, wild grapevine populations are quite limited and sporadic mainly due to habitat destruction, land-use change, and the spread of pathogens that have reduced their distribution range. Palaeoecological, archaeobotanical, and genetic studies indicate that modern cultivars of Vitis vinifera are the results of the domestication of the dioecious, and sometimes hermaphrodite, wild species standing in riparian zones and wet environments. Wild grapevine populations have declined as a consequence of various forms of anthropogenic disturbance and were assigned by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species to the Least Concern category. The River Crati Natural Reserve (Riserva Naturale Foce del Crati), located in southern Italy, hosts a population of Vitis vinifera subsp. sylvestris in a rewilding wet forest close to the Ionian Sea. These protected areas are of high scientific, biogeographic, and conservation interest in terms of Mediterranean biodiversity. Dendroecological and pollen morpho-biometric analyses of the wild grapevine are presented in this study. Palaeoecological perspectives for a landscape management strategy aimed at conserving and restoring the relic grapevine population are discussed.

Grapevine in the Ancient Upper Euphrates: Horticultural Implications of a Bayesian Morphometric Study of Archaeological Seeds

The origins of the main cultivar groups of Vitis vinifera, their relationships with wild grapevine populations, and the use of other Vitaceae are relevant issues for the improvement and conservation of Vitis diversity. Morphometric studies, domestication indices, multivariate analyses, and Bayesian hypothesis testing have been used. Eight different seed types have been identified in the 24 samples analyzed from materials from the Upper Euphrates sites of Tell Khâmis and Tell Qara Quzaq (Early Bronze Age to Hellenistic), ranging from highly domesticated to purely wild. We have been able to establish the predominance among the domesticated of Proles orientalis Negrul (three samples, Domestication Index = 1), the existence of and extinct Proles euphratica (six samples, Domestication Index = 0.67–0.83) and numerous intermediates and hybrids (eight samples). We have determined the continued presence throughout the period studied of wild grapevines related to Vitis sylvestris C.C.Gmelin and V. caucasica Vavilov (5 samples, with Domestication Indices = 0.17–0.5). The existence of Ampelopsis seeds was established for three samples. We determined that the oldest Vitaceae seed linked to human presence, in the Acheulense (780 myr), also belongs to Ampelopsis. Finally, “stenosperms” appear associated with Ampelopsis seeds (three samples), suggesting anomalies in seed formation due to intergeneric cross-pollination. Moreover, if isolated, they suggest the presence of “stenospermocarpic” Vitis vinifera raisins of the Sultanina type. Finally, we must reflect on the role that Ampelopsis species may have played and their possible cultivation and domestication almost 4000 years ago.

Demographic and ecogeographic factors limit wild grapevine spread at the southern edge of its distribution range.

The spatial distribution of plants is constrained by demographic and ecogeographic factors that determine the range and abundance of the species. Wild grapevine (Vitis vinifera ssp. sylvestris) is distributed from Switzerland in the north to Israel in the south. However, little is known about the ecogeographic constraints of this species and its genetic and phenotypic characteristics, especially at the southern edge of its distribution range in the Levant region. In this study, we explore the population structure of southern Levantine wild grapevines and the correlation between demographic and ecogeographic characteristics. Based on our genetic analysis, the wild grapevine populations in this region can be divided into two major subgroups in accordance with a multivariate spatial and ecogeographical clustering model. The identified subpopulations also differ in morphological traits, mainly leaf hairiness which may imply adaptation to environmental stress. The findings suggest that the Upper Jordan River population was spread to the Sea of Galilee area and that a third smaller subpopulation at the south of the Golan Heights may represent a distinguished gene pool or a recent establishment of a new population. A spatial distribution model indicated that distance to water sources, Normalized difference vegetation index, and precipitation are the main environmental factors constraining V. v. sylvestris distribution at its southern distribution range. These factors in addition to limited gene flow between populations prevent further spread of wild grapevines southwards to semi‐arid regions.

Classification of a Texan wild grapevine population within the genusVitis

Classification of a Texan wild grapevine population within the genus<i>Vitis</i>

Genetic Structure and Relationships among Wild and Cultivated Grapevines from Central Europe and Part of the Western Balkan Peninsula.

The genetic diversity and relationship between wild (Vitis vinifera L. subsp. sylvestris (Gmel.) Hegi and cultivated (V. vinifera L. subsp. vinifera) grapevine in the western Balkan region and Central Europe have not been studied together previously, although this area has a rich viticultural past. Here, we studied wild grapevine populations sampled from their natural habitats in several countries of the western Balkan region and Central Europe. Their genetic diversity and structure were compared to cultivars that are traditionally in use in this region. A sample set of 243 accessions was genotyped at 20 nuclear microsatellite loci, including 167 sylvestris and 76 diverse vinifera cultivars. The genetic diversity of the wild grapevines was lower than that of cultivars by all genetic parameters. Both hierarchical and nonhierarchical clustering methods differentiated two main groups, indicating clear separation between wild and cultivated vines but also revealed clear gene flow between the cultivated and wild gene pools through overlaps and admixed ancestry values in the graphs. There was greater affinity to the wild grapes in Central European cultivars than in Balkan cultivars. Fine arrangement of the structure among cultivated grapevines showed differentiation among Central European and Balkan cultivars. These results confirm the divergence of wild grapes from vinifera and highlight the “crossroad” role of the western Balkan peninsula in the broader context of European viticulture.

An inventory of the relic eurasian wild grapevine populational nuclei in huelva province (andalusia, Spain)

This paper is focused on 21 relic wild grapevine populations within province (SW Europe, Spain) prospected between 2015-2017. Position of each population along river-bank forests, types of flower of this dioecious subspecies and morphology of the pollen grains were described. Analyses of five microvinifications were carried out, which indicate that the color intensity of the wines is between 14.6 and 17.6 and the pH between 3.26-3.27, which are suitable values for red wines under Mediterranean climatology. A list of the accompanying vegetation and the cultivated varieties in the Condado de Huelva Registered Appellation Origin Mark were also included. Moreover, the genetic diversity of 23 vines was characterized using 25 nuclear SSR loci, the results showed a slightly higher diversity than the one found in Iberian cultivars. However, the observed heterozygosity was significantly lower than the expected one for wild populations in the province. The inbreeding depression in these wild grape populations is suggested by the positive F values. Therefore, the conservation of this unique germplasm collection should be part of the process of maintaining the genetic diversity in this gene pool, especially, taking into account that no particular legal figure of preservation exists in Spain.

Identificación de poblaciones de vid silvestre y parras guiadas sobre las fachadas de los caseríos de la Cuadrilla de Ayala (Álava, España).

This paper focuses on the Cuadrilla de Ayala (Alava province, Spain), where eight relic wild grapevine populations were located in different habitats. The dioecious nature of these lianas was determined at flowering time. The main parasitic species on these vines and also the most frequent taxa of their accompanying vegetation were identified. On the other hand, fifteen vines, aged in excess of fifty, and located in the main entrances of tra- ditional farmhouses ( caserios ), were also studied. The analysis of the DNA from both kinds of sampled vines was based on 48 SNPs markers. Results were compared with the available data base at the Instituto de Ciencias de la Vid y del Vino (Logrono, Spain) for the sample genetic characterization.

Histoire de la vigne sauvage, Vitis vinifera ssp. sylvestris, en Camargue / Wild grapevine Vitis vinifera ssp. sylvestris in Camargue, southern France

La vigne sauvage (Vitis vinifera ssp. sylvestris) est en déclin marqué depuis la fin du XIXe siècle. Depuis 2000, l’espèce est considérée en danger critique d’extinction. Des prospections dans la vallée du Rhône ont montré qu’il existait quelques micropopulations jusque dans le delta. Une population de 52 pieds de grandes dimensions et présentant un phénotype sauvage a récemment été découverte en rive gauche du Grand Rhône, dans le boisement privé du mas Saint-Georges. Une recherche pluridisciplinaire a été entreprise sur cette population de vignes afin de reconstituer leur histoire ; les outils utilisés ont été la génétique (effectuée sur 37 individus), l’écologie (dimensions des pieds, identification des porteurs), et la dendrochronologie effectuée sur 5 pieds. L’habitat forestier a également été analysé du point de vue architectural et dynamique de la lumière. Trente et un (31) individus ont été déterminés comme étant de véritables vignes sauvages, dont la diversité est légèrement inférieure à celle des autres populations européennes. Quatre sont des individus hybrides ou introgressés : deux entre vignes sauvages et vignes américaines, et deux entre vignes sauvages et vignes cultivées. Trois haplotypes typiques des vignes sauvages ont été déterminés, indiquant que ce site est à un point de convergence entre populations méditerranéennes du sud, de l’ouest et du centre de la Méditerranée. Le boisement a été suffisamment fermé pour éviter les échanges de pollen avec les vignes américaines échappées. À partir de ces données et de l’analyse des cartes anciennes, il a pu être déduit que ce boisement s’était développé au début du XXe siècle à partir d’un marais asséché par les aménagements hydrauliques. L’âge des vignes, estimé par la dendrochronologie à une fourchette de 38 à 50 ans, pourrait cependant être de l’âge de la forêt. Les vignes se seraient installées lors de la succession forestière. Les caractéristiques architecturales du boisement (à la fois dense et lumineux) ont permis à la vigne de s’y établir sur une longue durée. Actuellement, cette population ne se reproduit plus. Les conditions actuelles ne sont donc plus favorables à l’espèce, à l’inverse des populations échappées de porte-greffes, très abondantes en Camargue. Une protection forte de ces derniers pieds de vigne forestière devrait être mise en place avec l’accord des propriétaires.

Insights into the Vitis complex in the Danube floodplain (Austria).

European grapevine populations quickly disappeared from most of their range, massively killed by the spread of North American grapevine pests and diseases. Nowadays taxonomic pollution represents a new threat. A large Vitis complex involves escaped cultivars, rootstocks, and wild grapevines. The study aimed to provide insight into the Vitis complex in the Danube region through field and genetic analyses. Among the five other major rivers in Europe which still host wild grapevine populations, the Danube floodplain is the only one benefiting from an extensive protected forest area (93 km²) and an relatively active dynamic flood pulse. The Donau‐Auen National Park also regroups the largest wild grapevine population in Europe. Ninety‐two percent of the individuals collected in the park were true wild grapevines, and 8% were hybrids and introgressed individuals of rootstocks, wild grapevines, and cultivars. These three groups are interfertile acting either as pollen donor or receiver. Hybrids were established within and outside the dykes, mostly in anthropized forest edges. The best‐developed individuals imply rootstock genes. They establish in the most erosive parts of the floodplain. 42% of the true wild grapevines lived at the edges of forest/meadow, 33.3% at the edges forest/channels, and 23.9% in forest gaps. DBH (Diameter Breast Height) varied significantly with the occurrence of flooding. Clones were found in both true wild and hybrids/introgressed grapevines. The process of cloning seemed to be prevented in places where flooding dynamics is reduced. The current global distribution of true wild grapevines shows a strong tendency toward clustering, in sites where forestry practices were the most extensive. However, the reduced flooding activity is a danger for long‐term sustainability of the natural wild grapevine population.

Current distribution and characterization of the wild grapevine populations in Andalusia (Spain)

For decades, human activities have gradually destroyed the natural habitats of wild grapevine, Vitis vinifera L. subsp. sylvestris (Gmelin) Hegi, and nowadays this species is endangered in southern Europe. In this paper, 94 populations of this species have been localized and characterized in the Andalusian region in the Iberian Peninsula between 1989 and 2013. Location, ecological aspects, and sanitary characteristics are described. Must properties and in vitro tolerance to calcareous conditions were also checked. The paper also contains a global description of female and male individuals. Two hundred individuals from six river basin populations have been sampled, and their genetic structure analyzed by using 25 nuclear microsatellites loci to investigate the gene diversity of wild grape populations in Andalusia at two levels: total individuals and at river basin populations. Also, the genetic relationship of wild and cultivated accessions has been tested. Wild grapevine is considered the ancestor of the cultivated varieties and should be preserved as this material could be used to start breeding programs of cultivated varieties and also to restore riverbank forests, which constitute one of the worst preserved ecosystems in the area.

Genetic Diversity of Wild Grapevine [ Vitis vinifera L. subsp. sylvestris (Gmel.) Hegi] in the Eastern Adriatic Region

The genetic diversity of wild grapevine [Vitis vinifera L. subsp. sylvestris (Gmel.) Hegi] in the eastern Adriatic region, which includes Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, has previously not been documented. Natural populations of wild grapevine were identified in their natural habitats, and their genetic diversity was studied and compared with both local and widespread European cultivars. Ninety-two grapevine genotypes were determined at 21 nuclear microsatellite loci, including 53 wild grapevine individuals, 32 diverse local Croatian and west European cultivars, and seven commonly used rootstocks. Two hundred thirty-nine alleles were detected, with a mean of 11.4 alleles per locus and high heterozygosity, ranging from 0.461 to 0.897 for observed heterozygosity and from 0.391 to 0.837 for expected heterozygosity. The genetic diversity of the wild grapevines was slightly lower than that observed in cultivars. Distance- and model-based cluster analysis differentiated three main groups, indicating clear separation between wild, cultivated, and rootstock accessions. This study greatly contributes to knowledge of genetic diversity in local wild grapevine populations in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and provides necessary information for their conservation and further characterization.

Characterization of the largest relic Eurasian wild grapevine reservoir in Southern Iberian Peninsula

Wild grapevine is becoming a threatened species in the Iberian Peninsula due to human impacts. The aim of this work was to carry out a holistic study for six years of the largest wild grapevine population found up to date in SW Iberian Peninsula. This population has 115 vines. Ampelographic and soil characteristics have been studied. Evaluation of its environment has also been studied by describing the main parasitic species and natural enemies of pests. The ability of this plant material for its micropropagation and storage in slow-growth conditions has been tested. Microvinification resulted in a wine with good acidity and medium color intensity, two interesting characteristics under a warm climatology. Finally, the identification of private alleles in this wild population, absent in other locations from the Northern and Southern Iberian territories, is a very valuable feature and confirms the importance of establishing conservation programs. The population here studied is genetically unique and potentially useful for commercial rootstocks and cultivars breeding that would improve viticulture and enology.

Evolution of wild and feral vines from the Ega river gallery forest (Basque country and Navarra, Spain) from 1995 to 2015

&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Aims&lt;/strong&gt;: The present paper is focused on wild and feral grapevines from the Ega River gallery forest (Alder grove), one of the most important tributaries of the Ebro River. Since this area was preliminary prospected in 1995, it was our intention to assess the evolution of the ecosystem during this time.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods and results&lt;/strong&gt;: Ampelographic description of wild grapevines shows that all male plants had flowers with fully developed stamens and no gynoecium. No hermaphrodite individuals were detected. No virus infection and symptoms caused by Phylloxera on roots were detected. The Erineum strain of &lt;em&gt;Colomerus vitis&lt;/em&gt; constitutes the main phytophagous arthropod. Damages caused by powdery and downy mildew were not lethal for the vines. Around 73% of the wild grapevine individuals found in 1995 had disappeared due to human impacts. The number of rootstocks and producer hybrids (French hybrids) had increased in this period by about 30%. Microvinification of wild berries yielded a wine with very high color intensity and total polyphenol index with a low pH.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusion&lt;/strong&gt;: The wild grapevine population described has suffered a dramatic regression in the 20-year period between prospections, together with a significant increase of feral accessions thus endangering the endurance of the ecosystem and remaining wild grapevine.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Significance and impact of the study &lt;/strong&gt;: Wild grapevines are a valuable genetic resource for the genetic improvement of cultivated vines. However, our study shows that human impacts and increasing pressure of feral accessions are threatening wild grapevine populations.&lt;/p&gt;

Renewal of wild grapevine (Vitis vinifera L. subsp. sylvestris (Gmelin) Hegi) populations through sexual pathway: Some Italian case studies

Wild Euro-Asiatic grapevine (Vitis vinifera L. subsp. sylvestris (Gmelin) Hegi) is an opportunistic liana with reproductive patterns characterized both by vegetative propagation and sexual reproduction. Vegetative propagation would ensure a rapid vine regeneration and land colonization, while sexual reproduction would assure genetic recombination and chromosome re-assortment crucial for evolution and survival of the species. The aim of this study was the analysis of the parentage relationships within and between fourteen Italian wild grapevine populations, in order to characterize the natural mating system of this taxon. Beside parentage relationship analyses, the estimation of genetic diversity, genetic distance and genetic differentiation were assessed. The populations showed a good extent of genetic diversity and low levels of genetic distance and isolation between them, indicating gene flow among sites. This result was supported by parentage relationships between different populations. Nevertheless, populations from North Italy showed the lowest genetic diversity, while internal relatedness and inbreeding estimation values were higher than the populations from Central and Southern Italy. One of the northern populations resulted particularly high in inbreeding intensity. The parentage relationship analysis pointed out in all sites a, sometimes active, sexual reproduction within populations. Seed dispersal by frugivorous vectors among neighbouring sites seemed less frequent and depending on specific environmental circumstances.

&lt;em&gt;In situ&lt;/em&gt; and genetic characterization of wild grapevine populations in the Castilian and Leon region (Spain)

&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Aim&lt;/strong&gt;: Assessing levels and patterns of population genetic variation in combination with morphological characterization represents an important step for evaluating rare or endangered species and determining appropriate conservation strategies. This is particularly important for ensuring the preservation of valuable genetic variation in wild relatives of crops, which could provide beneficial alleles for plant breeding and improvement.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods and results&lt;/strong&gt;: A survey of the relict wild grapevine population was carried out in the province of Burgos, in the Castilian and Leon region (Spain). Genetic diversity, inbreeding extent and possible hybridization with cultivated grapevine were investigated using molecular markers. Results showed that overall, genetic diversity was low but inbreeding was not present. Private alleles were found in the Burgos wild genotypes, suggesting the potential value of these accessions. Comparisons of morphological traits and molecular features among the wild population showed a close genetic relationship among them and no genetic relationship to Castilian grapevine cultivars.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusion&lt;/strong&gt;: The genetic differentiation observed between wild and domesticated forms of grapevine points out the interest to characterize and conserve the existing populations as a source of novel alleles for future grapevine breeding programs. At the same time, the observed enological differences between wild and domesticated grapevine populations could be interesting for the wine industry. Finally, given that these populations are at severe risk of extinction, we recommend that this population be prioritized for &lt;em&gt;ex situ&lt;/em&gt; and possibly on-farm conservation as well as &lt;em&gt;in&lt;/em&gt; &lt;em&gt;situ&lt;/em&gt; protection.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Significance and impact of the study&lt;/strong&gt;: This work showed the existence of novel alleles and enological characters in natural wild grapevine populations, which represents a first step in the potential contribution of these natural populations to viticulture, suggesting a possible role in future breeding programs.&lt;/p&gt;

Evaluating wild grapevine tolerance to copper toxicity

We evaluate copper tolerance and accumulation in Vitis vinifera ssp. sylvestris in populations from a copper contaminated site and an uncontaminated site, and in the grapevine rootstock “41B”, investigating the effects of copper (0–23mM) on growth, photosynthetic performance and mineral nutrient content. The highest Cu treatment induced nutrient imbalances and inhibited photosynthetic function, causing a drastic reduction in growth in the three study plants. Effective concentration was higher than 23mM Cu in the wild grapevines and around 9mM in the “41B” plants. The wild grapevine accessions studied controlled root Cu concentration more efficiently than is the case with the “41B” rootstock and must be considered Cu-tolerant. Wild grapevines from the Cu-contaminated site present certain physiological characteristics that make them relatively more suitable for exploitation in the genetic improvement of vines against conditions of excess Cu, compared to wild grapevine populations from uncontaminated sites.

Italian wild grapevine (Vitis vinifera L. subsp. sylvestris) population: insights into eco-geographical aspects and genetic structure

An extended survey showed that the Italian wild grapevine (Vitis vinifera L. subsp. sylvestris (Gmelin) Hegi) population is still numerous, in spite of a range of threats. In this study, one hundred and sixty-one sites distributed in 10 Italian regions were explored and 814 wild samples were collected. The individuals were unequally distributed on all the national territory and they were mainly concentrated in some areas of Central and Southern Italy. The highest percentage of wild individuals was sampled in sites below 300 m of altitude with a connection to a hydrographic network, marginal from dense vegetation and with a high-quality environment conservation state. A possible correlation between the presence of wild grapevine individuals and carbonatic soil substratum was found. On 668 individuals, a genetic analysis was carried out by the 20 microsatellite loci commonly utilized for V. vinifera genotyping, to infer information on the population genetic diversity and structure; 645 individuals resulted as unique genetic profiles. According to Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) analysis, the Italian wild population still conserves a high genetic diversity and a low inbreeding level. Moreover, any clear genetic structure was not observed inside the population, although a likely splitting between the two subpopulations from Central and Southern Italy was identified. Two alternative hypotheses were proposed to explain this result: (i) the beginning of a progressive differentiation process inside the population and (ii) the product of recolonization events occurred after the last glaciation.

Preliminary Characterization of Wild Grapevine Populations (&lt;i&gt;Vitis vinifera&lt;/i&gt; ssp. &lt;i&gt;sylvestris&lt;/i&gt;) Grown Along the Danube River

The individuals belonging to three different groups of wild grapevines populations Vitis vinifera L. ssp. sylvestris (Gmelin) Hegi harvested along, or near the Danube River, were described by means of usual ampelographic methods. The twenty standardized descriptors used for morphological analysis revealed obvious differentiation among analyzed populations. Out of 65 individuals, a half produced flowers with separate sex and a high proportion of them were males (70%). Pollen measurements on light microscope provided information on differences in pollen size among inside wild grapevine populations of V. sylvestris with the polar length varying between 15.3 and 23 μm and the equatorial length between 15.5 and 24.4μm. The in vitro regenerative potential from meristematic tissue tested with each phenotype showed that the moment of differentiation, the aspect of proliferative structures and the rate of multiplication varied inside these wild grapevine populations, without any correlation with the location of harvesting. Our results provided valuable information about these Vitis vinifera ssp. sylvestris populations, possible to be used as starting plant material for research in general and further breeding of cultivars and grapevine rootstocks.

Chloroplast Genome Diversity in Portuguese Grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) Cultivars

Grapevine chloroplast (cp) DNA diversity was analysed for the first time through amplification and digestion of fragments of the large single copy (LSC) region by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism methodology and also by amplification of three microsatellite loci, previously described as polymorphic in grapevine. Thirty-eight grapevine cultivars collected mainly in the North of Portugal, including some neglected cultivars, four international cultivars (Chasselas, Muscat of Alexandria, Muscat of Hamburg and Pinot) and Vitis riparia and Vitis rupestris, were used in this study with the main goal of finding out their cpDNA diversity and compare the obtained results with previously published data on cultivars from other regions to ascertain their possible origin. Two different alleles were found in each of the three cpSSR loci. Allele variants of the three loci combined in a total of three different haplotypes (A, B and D). The most frequent haplotype, A, was previously reported as the most frequent in Iberian Peninsula and Occidental Europe. Haplotype B was unique to Rabigato, Muscat of Alexandria, V. riparia and V. rupestris. This haplotype was previously proposed to be an ancestral haplotype. Twenty-seven fragments of the LSC region of Vitis vinifera cpDNA were amplified and then digested with HinfI and TaqI restriction enzymes. Polymorphisms were found in the trnT-psbC (TC) and orf184-petA (OA) fragments. In the TC fragment, the polymorphism corresponds to a point mutation in a restriction site of TaqI and is only present in all cultivars with cpSSR haplotype D. In the OA fragment, a short deletion exclusive to the Rabigato cultivar was found. In this case, one sequence tagged site-based marker was developed and will be very useful in future phylogenetic and fingerprinting studies in a broader number of cultivars and in wild grapevine populations. Inference about the progenitors of the Touriga Franca cultivar is done. The present work supports and completes its origin as a descendent of the female and male parents, Marufo and Touriga Nacional.