Valorization of autochthonous Apulian grapevine cultivars for spumante production

Italian spumante has a long tradition, deeply rooted in the Piedmont region since the 19th century. A fundamental aspect of spumante production is berry acidity, since it influences both the quality and taste of spumante. The acidity of the berry results from the accumulation of H+ ions in the vacuole of the cell, and this process involves complex biochemical changes not yet completely understood. Furthermore, acidification is strongly influenced by environment; in particular, higher temperature is associated with lower berry acidity. As part of a project aimed at evaluating and promoting Apulian cultivars for spumante production, six autochthonous grapevine cultivars ('Bianco d'Alessano', 'Bombino Nero', 'Maresco', 'Minutolo', 'Negramaro' and 'Uva di Troia') and two international cultivars ('Pinot Blanc' and 'Pinot Noir') were characterized both genetically, to constitute molecular fingerprints, and biochemically, to detect berry acidity values. The results obtained allowed us to identify the autochthonous cultivar 'Maresco' as the best candidate for comparison with the most commonly used cultivar for spumante production at the international scale, 'Pinot Blanc'.