Caprettone is a white

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 in the

Campania Campania (, also , , , ) is an administrative Regions of Italy, region of Italy; most of it is in the south-western portion of the Italian peninsula (with the Tyrrhenian Sea to its west), but it also includes the small Phlegraean Islands and the i ...

region of southern Italy where it is a minor blending component in the ''

Denominazione di Origine Controllata The following four classifications of wine constitute the Italian system of labelling and legally protecting Italian wine: * ''Denominazione di origine'' (DO, rarely used; ; English: “designation of origin”), * ''Indicazione geografica tipic ...

'' (DOC) wine of

Lacryma Christi Lacryma Christi () or Lachryma Christi of Vesuvius is the name of a Neapolitan type of wine produced on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius in Campania, Italy. White Lacryma Christi is made mainly from Verdeca and Coda di Volpe grapes, with smaller pr ...

bianco. Caprettone is also grown in the Rogue River Valley of southern Oregon. Historically, the grape was believed to be a clone of the Campanian grape Coda di Volpe but

DNA analysis Genetic testing, also known as DNA testing, is used to identify changes in DNA sequence or chromosome structure. Genetic testing can also include measuring the results of genetic changes, such as RNA analysis as an output of gene expression, or ...

has shown that the two grapes are instead distinct varieties.J. Robinson, J. Harding and J. Vouillamoz ''Wine Grapes - A complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including their origins and flavours'' pg 185 Allen Lane 2012

History

Ampelographer 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 ...

s believe that the name ''Caprettone'' may be derived from the

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

''capra'' which means goat and could be a reference to the historical role of

shepherd A shepherd or sheepherder is a person who tends, herds, feeds, or guards flocks of sheep. ''Shepherd'' derives from Old English ''sceaphierde (''sceap'' 'sheep' + ''hierde'' 'herder'). ''Shepherding is one of the world's oldest occupations, i ...

s in grape growing in southern Italy or to the characteristic shape of Caprettone clusters which can resemble a goat's beard.

For many years, Caprettone was assumed to be a clone of Coda di Volpe but DNA analysis in the early 21st century showed that the two grapes are distinct varieties and that, instead, Caprettone was closely related to the red Campanian wine grape

Piedirosso Piedirosso is a red Italian wine grape variety that is planted primarily in the Campania region. The grape is considered a specialty of the region, being used to produce wines for local and tourist consumption. Its name "piedirosso" means "red f ...

and the white

Ginestra Ginestra ( aae, Zhura) is an Arbëreshë town and ''comune'' in the Province of Potenza, Basilicata, Italy. It is bounded by the comuni of Barile, Forenza, Maschito, Ripacandida, Venosa Venosa ( Lucano: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the p ...

. It was also speculated that Catalanesca and Uva Rosa may also be related to Caprettone but DNA results from 2005 showed no close relationship between those varieties and Caprettone.

Viticulture

Caprettone is an early to mid-ripening grape variety that is usually harvested in Campania in mid to late September. The grape is noted for being able to maintain moderate

acidity In computer science, ACID ( atomicity, consistency, isolation, durability) is a set of properties of database transactions intended to guarantee data validity despite errors, power failures, and other mishaps. In the context of databases, a sequ ...

levels even in the warm climate of southern Italy.

Wine regions

For the 2000 census, Caprettone was still officially recognized as a clone/synonym for Coda di Volpe, which had reported, so the exact number of plantings for the grape is not known. Ampelographers believe that true Caprettone is mostly isolated to the province of Napoli where 15 villages around

Mount Vesuvius Mount Vesuvius ( ; it, Vesuvio ; nap, 'O Vesuvio , also or ; la, Vesuvius , also , or ) is a somma-stratovolcano located on the Gulf of Naples in Campania, Italy, about east of Naples and a short distance from the shore. It is one of s ...

have had a long history of production with the grape. Under DOC regulation, Caprettone can not be made as a

varietal A varietal wine is a wine made primarily from a single named grape variety, and which typically displays the name of that variety on the wine label.The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, 2000.winepros.com.au. ...

wine though it is permitted to be a minor blending component in the white wine of Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio Bianco. In the Rogue River Valley appellation of Oregon in the U. S., a varietal wine is made from local Caprettone grapes.

References

{{reflist White wine grape varieties