Italian indigenous grapevine cultivars: Guarantee of genetic biodiversity and economic resource

The Italian viticulture, as well as those of several Mediterranean Countries, was characterized by the presence of an enormous number of indigenous cultivars, resulting from centuries of natural and human selection which brought to the establishment of a tight cultivar-environment relationship. The consequence was a kaleidoscope of local wines, whose typicality derived from cultivar, soil, climate and winemaking. In recent years the so called international cultivars, mainly noble French varieties, invaded the Italian vineyards. The enlargement of the varietal choice is a powerful tool in the hands of growers and winemakers in the competitive wine market, however relying too much on few international varieties, although of high enological value, may turn to be a mistake. The French cultivars, it has to be reminded, are spread all over the viticultural world and wines made with Chardonnay, Cabernet, Syrah, etc. are produced in Europe as well as in U.S.A., Australia, South Africa, Chile and so on. In addition some practices largely adopted in modern winemaking, such as the maturation in new wood (barrique), emphasized the globalization of wine taste minimizing on this respect the contribution of the cultivar and of the environment of production. In such a situation the most forward thinking wine producers are starting to again look at local varietal heritage, re-examining their enological value and marketing potential. Selected clones, vertical trellising, short pruning, higher vine density, bunch thinning, irrigation (in the South), as well as, in terms of wine, tannin management and gentle vinification are the key to exploiting the full potential of indigenous cultivars. Red cultivars such as Sangiovese, Barbera, Nebbiolo, Teroldego, Montepulciano and Sagrantino or white cultivars such as Vermentino, Prosecco and Arneis in northern and central Italy, and the red cultivars Aglianico, Negroamaro, Nero d'Avola (Calabrese) and Primitivo or the whites Greco di Tufo, Fiano and Verdicchio in southern regions are only some good examples of local varietal biodiversity which offers enormous potentiality in terms of original high quality wines. Finally, it should not be forgotten the relevant biological and economical importance of many local minor varieties, grown in very limited amount but able to give 'niche' products whose value relies mainly on rarity and on the very strict connection to the area of production.