Italian wine
Italian wine is produced in every region of Italy. Italy is the world's largest producer of wine, with an area of under vineyard cultivation, and contributing a 2013–2017 annual average of 48.3 million hl of wine. In 2018 Italy accounted for ...
grape variety
This list of grape varieties includes cultivated grapes, whether used for wine, or eating as a table grape, fresh or dried (raisin, currant, sultana). For a complete list of all grape species including those unimportant to agriculture, see Viti ...
that is grown primarily in
Sardinia
Sardinia ( ; it, Sardegna, label=Italian, Corsican and Tabarchino ; sc, Sardigna , sdc, Sardhigna; french: Sardaigne; sdn, Saldigna; ca, Sardenya, label=Algherese and Catalan) is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after ...
.
Ampelographers
Ampelography ( ἄμπελος, "vine" + γράφος, "writing") is the field of botany concerned with the identification and classification of grapevines, ''Vitis'' spp. Traditionally this has been done by comparing the shape and colour of the ...
use to believe that the grape was originally
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...
in origin and was introduced to the island when it was ruled by the
Crown of Aragon
The Crown of Aragon ( , ) an, Corona d'Aragón ; ca, Corona d'Aragó, , , ; es, Corona de Aragón ; la, Corona Aragonum . was a composite monarchy ruled by one king, originated by the dynastic union of the Kingdom of Aragon and the County of B ...
. Recent
DNA profiling
DNA profiling (also called DNA fingerprinting) is the process of determining an individual's DNA characteristics. DNA analysis intended to identify a species, rather than an individual, is called DNA barcoding.
DNA profiling is a forensic tec ...
has suggested that the grape may have originated on the island as a crossing between the red Sardinian wine grape
Girò
Girò is a red Italian wine grape variety that is grown on Sardinia and is used mostly in the production of fortified wines in the Giro di Cagliari ''Denominazione di origine controllata'' (DOC). The grape was once widely planted throughout Sardin ...
and the Spanish
table grape
Table grapes are grapes intended for consumption while fresh, as opposed to grapes grown for wine production, juice production, or for drying into raisins.
''Vitis vinifera'' table grapes can be in the form of either seeded or non-seeded varieta ...
Molinera, known locally as ''Pansa Rosa di Málaga'' and distinct from the
Veneto wine
Venetian wine is produced in Veneto, a highly productive wine region in north-eastern Italy.
The broader area comprising Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol is known collectively as the ''Tre Venezie'', after the Republ ...
Amarone
Amarone della Valpolicella, usually known as Amarone (, ), is an Italian DOCG denomination of typically rich dry red wine made from the partially dried grapes of the Corvina (45–95%, of which up to 50% could be substituted with Corvinone), Rond ...
. A pink skinned grape known as
Albaranzeuli nero
Albaranzeuli nero is a red Italian wine grape variety that is primarily found in Sardinia. The grape is often confused with the red Sardinian grape Girò which is believed to be a parent variety of the white grape Albaranzeuli bianco. However recen ...
is also found in Sardinia but its exact relationship to Albaranzeuli bianco is not yet clear.J. Robinson, J. Harding and J. Vouillamoz ''Wine Grapes - A complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including their origins and flavours'' pg 22-23 Allen Lane 2012
Wine regions
According to wine expert
Jancis Robinson
Jancis Mary Robinson OBE, ComMA, MW (born 22 April 1950) is a British wine critic, journalist and wine writer. She currently writes a weekly column for the ''Financial Times'', and writes for her website JancisRobinson.com, updated daily. She ...
, Albaranzeuli bianco is "virtually
extinct
Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and ...
" with only 75
hectare
The hectare (; SI symbol: ha) is a non-SI metric unit of area equal to a square with 100-metre sides (1 hm2), or 10,000 m2, and is primarily used in the measurement of land. There are 100 hectares in one square kilometre. An acre is a ...
s (185 acres) of the grape left in Sardinia according to a 2000 census. Most of these plantings were part of
field blend
Viticulture (from the Latin word for ''vine'') or winegrowing (wine growing) is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of ''Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine, ran ...
s with other local varieties in old vineyards scattered throughout the provinces of
Nuoro
Nuoro ( or less correctly ; sc, Nùgoro ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in central-eastern Sardinia, Italy, situated on the slopes of the Monte Ortobene. It is the capital of the province of Nuoro. With a population of 36,347 (2011), ...
and
Oristano
Oristano (; sc, Aristanis ) is an Italian city and ''comune'', and capital of the Province of Oristano in the central-western part of the island of Sardinia. It is located on the northern part of the Campidano plain. It was established as the pr ...
.
Viticulture and winemaking
Albaranzeuli bianco is a late-ripening grape that is known for its high yield potential and its good resistance to
viticultural hazards
This is a list of diseases of grapes (''Vitis'' spp.).
Bacterial diseases
Fungal diseases
Miscellaneous diseases and disorders
Nematodes, parasitic
Phytoplasma, virus and viruslike diseases
See also
*''Ampeloglypter ater''
*''Ampe ...
such as fungal diseases.
The grape is permitted in several ''
Indicazione geografica tipica
''Indicazione geografica tipica'' () is the third of four classifications of wine recognized by the government of Italy. Created to recognize the unusually high quality of the class of wines known as Super Tuscans, IGT wines are labeled with the ...
'' (IGT) wines in Sardinia where it is used for both dry white and
sparkling wines
Sparkling wine is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it, making it fizzy. While the phrase commonly refers to champagne, European Union countries legally reserve that term for products exclusively produced in the Champagne regi ...
.
Relationship to other grape varieties and origins
For years ampelographers believed that Albaranzeuli bianco may have been a Spanish variety, potentially even a clone of the
Ribera del Duero
Ribera del Duero is a Spanish Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP) located in the country's northern plateau and is one of eleven 'quality wine' regions within the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is also one of several recogni ...
wine grape
Albillo
Albillo or Albillo Real is a white Spanish wine grape varietyAlbillo Real ,
The genetic link between the white skinned Albaranzeuli bianco and the pink skinned Albaranzeuli nero is not exactly clear. DNA testing has also revealed there maybe some connection between the grape and the Sicilian variety Albanello and the
Marche
Marche ( , ) is one of the twenty regions of Italy. In English, the region is sometimes referred to as The Marches ( ). The region is located in the central area of the country, bordered by Emilia-Romagna and the republic of San Marino to the ...
grape
Albanella
Albanella is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Salerno in the Campania region of south-western Italy. It is located 51 kilometers from the city of Salerno.
The town slogan is , which translates to "the land of the olive trees" in English. ...
which are often confused for each other.
Synonyms
Over the years, Albaranzeuli bianco has been known under a variety of synonyms including: Albaranzèllu, Alvarenzeli, Alvarenzell, Alvaranzeuli, Alvaranzeuli bianco, Lacconargiu, Lacconarzu, Lacconazzu biancu, Laconari bianca, Laconarzu, Laconazzu bianco, Liconargiu and Licronasciu.
Vitis International Variety Catalogue
The Vitis International Variety Catalogue (VIVC) is a database of various species and varieties/cultivars of grapevine, the genus ''Vitis''. VIVC is administered by the Geilweilerhof Institute for Grape Breeding (''Institut für Rebenzüchtung Gei ...