![Vitigno Pecorino di Arquata del Tronto - Grappoli d'uva](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1a/Vitigno_Pecorino_di_Arquata_del_Tronto_-_Grappoli_d%27uva.jpg)
Pecorino 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 grows in 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 ...
,
Abruzzo
Abruzzo (, , ; nap, label=Neapolitan language, Abruzzese Neapolitan, Abbrùzze , ''Abbrìzze'' or ''Abbrèzze'' ; nap, label=Sabino dialect, Aquilano, Abbrùzzu; #History, historically Abruzzi) is a Regions of Italy, region of Southern Italy wi ...
,
Tuscany
Tuscany ( ; it, Toscana ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (''Firenze'').
Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, art ...
,
Umbria
it, Umbro (man) it, Umbra (woman)
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and
Lazio
it, Laziale
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regions of
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
.
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 ...
believe that the grape is likely native to Marche, where the soil destined for this cultivation increases every year. This grape variety is used to produce the DOCG (''
Denominazione di origine controllata e garantita
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 ...
'') wines, like the Offida Pecorino DOCG, and the DOC (''
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 ...
'') wines, like the
Falerio dei Colli Ascolani Falerio dei Colli Ascolani is a denominazione di origine controllata white wine that is located in the region of Marche, in Italy. The DOC was created in 1975.
Geography
The region lies on the eastern coast of Italy, encompassing the towns of Civi ...
, the
Colli Maceratesi and the
Falerio dei Colli Ascolani Falerio dei Colli Ascolani is a denominazione di origine controllata white wine that is located in the region of Marche, in Italy. The DOC was created in 1975.
Geography
The region lies on the eastern coast of Italy, encompassing the towns of Civi ...
.
[J. Robinson, J. Harding and J. Vouillamoz ''Wine Grapes - A complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including their origins and flavours'', p. 774. Allen Lane 2012 .]
Today, more than 20 qualities of wine are derived from this grape.
History
![Montefortino, veduta sui Monti Sibilla e Pizzo Regina](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/63/Montefortino%2C_veduta_sui_Monti_Sibilla_e_Pizzo_Regina.JPG)
Pecorino is a very old variety that, as believed by ampelographers, likely originated as a wild grapevine growing in the
Sibillini Mountains that was eventually domesticated for wine production. Despite its name, there is no direct link between the Pecorino grape and
Pecorino
Pecorino cheeses are hard Italian cheeses made from sheep's milk. The name "" derives from ''pecora'' which means sheep in Italian.
Overview
Of the six main varieties of pecorino, all of which have Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status u ...
cheese. Ampelographers believe that the grape's name derives 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 ...
word ''pecora'', meaning
sheep
Sheep or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus ''Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticated s ...
, because this grape grows in the mountains where the sheep used to graze.
According to local people, sheep in the Marche region would often eat the grapes while moving through the vineyards.
[Mary Prince ']
Local produce stars at Tomasso
'' The Metro West Daily News, 1 October 2008.[Winemaking Talk ']
'' Accessed 24 March 2013.
In the ancient times, Romans considered central Italy as very important for wine production, especially processed from this grape. This cultivation is widely documented from the second part of the 19th century. In the documental history, in the year
1526 anyone who damaged the vineyards of the Pecorino grape in the territory of
Norcia
Norcia (), traditionally known in English by its Latin name of Nursia (), is a town and comune in the province of Perugia (Italy) in southeastern Umbria. Unlike many ancient towns, it is located in a wide plain abutting the Monti Sibillini, a su ...
had to pay 10 coins as fine, according to the government local laws called the Statuti di Norcia (
Umbria
it, Umbro (man) it, Umbra (woman)
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region).
In 1876, the Ministry of Agriculture, Industry and Commerce published an exhaustive list of variety of the grapes growing on the Italian soil; the list identified the areas of
Pesaro
Pesaro () is a city and ''comune'' in the Italian region of Marche, capital of the Province of Pesaro e Urbino, on the Adriatic Sea. According to the 2011 census, its population was 95,011, making it the second most populous city in the Marche, ...
,
Ancona
Ancona (, also , ) is a city and a seaport in the Marche region in central Italy, with a population of around 101,997 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region. The city is located northeast of Rome, on the Adriatic S ...
,
Macerata
Macerata () is a city and ''comune'' in central Italy, the county seat of the province of Macerata in the Marche region. It has a population of about 41,564.
History
The historical city centre is on a hill between the Chienti and Potenza ri ...
and
Teramo
Teramo (; nap, label= Abruzzese, Tèreme ) is a city and ''comune'' in the Italian region of Abruzzo, the capital of the province of Teramo.
The city, from Rome, is situated between the highest mountains of the Apennines (Gran Sasso d'Italia) ...
as the specific areas where mostly Pecorino grape was being grown.
[^ Bolletino Ampelografico, Ministero, 1876. URL consultato il 7 febbraio 2019.]
Viticulture
![Lleyn sheep](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c4/Lleyn_sheep.jpg)
Pecorino is an
early ripening variety that tends to naturally produce low
yields even without severe winter
pruning
Pruning is a horticultural, arboricultural, and silvicultural practice involving the selective removal of certain parts of a plant, such as branches, buds, or roots.
The practice entails the ''targeted'' removal of diseased, damaged, dead, ...
. The variety does not have many
viticultural hazard
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''
*'' Am ...
s with a strong resistance to
downy
Downy, also known as Lenor in Europe, Russia and Japan, is a brand of fabric softener produced by Procter & Gamble that was introduced in 1960.
Lenor is a brand name of fabric softener and dryer sheets, also produced by P&G, sold in Europe, Russi ...
and
powdery mildew
Powdery mildew is a fungal disease that affects a wide range of plants. Powdery mildew diseases are caused by many different species of ascomycete fungi in the order Erysiphales. Powdery mildew is one of the easier plant diseases to identify, as ...
.
Wine regions
In 2000 there were of Pecorino planted in Italy, mostly in the
Arquata del Tronto
Arquata del Tronto is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Ascoli Piceno in the Marche region of Italy, located about from Ancona. It is the only European municipality located partly within two natural parks: Gran Sasso national park and ...
region of the
Ascoli Piceno province in Marche. In the 1980s,
Guido Cocci Grifoni was the first producer to begin widely using Pecorino in his Offida DOC wines and introduced the variety to nearby
Ripatransone
Ripatransone is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Ascoli Piceno in the Italian region Marche, located about southeast of Ancona and about northeast of Ascoli Piceno.
History
The hill of Ripatransone (whose name means "rock of Transo ...
. Today it is still a permitted variety in the Marche DOC wines of
Falerio dei Colli Ascolani Falerio dei Colli Ascolani is a denominazione di origine controllata white wine that is located in the region of Marche, in Italy. The DOC was created in 1975.
Geography
The region lies on the eastern coast of Italy, encompassing the towns of Civi ...
,
Colli Maceratesi and
Offida
Offida () is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Ascoli Piceno in the Italian region Marche, located about south of Ancona and about northeast of Ascoli Piceno, on a rocky spur between the valleys of the Tesino (from north) and Tro ...
.
In addition to be grown in Marche, plantings of Pecorino can also be found in the
Chieti
Chieti (, ; , nap, label= Abruzzese, Chjïétë, ; gr, Θεάτη, Theátē; lat, Theate, ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Central Italy, east by northeast of Rome. It is the capital of the province of Chieti in the Abruzzo region. ...
,
Pescara
Pescara (; nap, label= Abruzzese, Pescàrë; nap, label= Pescarese, Piscàrë) is the capital city of the Province of Pescara, in the Abruzzo region of Italy. It is the most populated city in Abruzzo, with 119,217 (2018) residents (and approxim ...
and
Teramo provinces of Abruzzo where it is used in the
sparkling wine
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 ...
s of
Controguerra
Controguerra ( Abruzzese: ', ') is a town and ''comune'' in Teramo province in the Abruzzo region of central Italy.
Controguerra DOC
Controguerra is noted for the Italian DOC wine produced in the hills and a valley near the comune. The area produc ...
and 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 of the region. Plantings can also be found in
Liguria
Liguria (; lij, Ligûria ; french: Ligurie) is a Regions of Italy, region of north-western Italy; its Capital city, capital is Genoa. Its territory is crossed by the Alps and the Apennine Mountains, Apennines Mountain chain, mountain range and is ...
,
Lazio
it, Laziale
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,
Tuscany
Tuscany ( ; it, Toscana ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (''Firenze'').
Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, art ...
and
Umbria
it, Umbro (man) it, Umbra (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 =
, demographics1_footnotes =
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.
DOC regulations
![Campagna e Chiesa Offida, landscape and Church of Offida](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/Campagna_e_Chiesa_Offida%2C_landscape_and_Church_of_Offida.jpg)
In the commune of
Macerata
Macerata () is a city and ''comune'' in central Italy, the county seat of the province of Macerata in the Marche region. It has a population of about 41,564.
History
The historical city centre is on a hill between the Chienti and Potenza ri ...
in the Marche, Pecorino can be included in the
Maceratino-based white wines of the Colli Maceratesi DOC provided that it doesn't collectively exceed more than 30% of the blend along with
Trebbiano
Trebbiano is an Italian wine grape, one of the most widely planted grape varieties in the world. It gives good yields, but tends to yield undistinguished wine. It can be fresh and fruity, but does not keep long. Also known as ugni blanc, it h ...
,
Verdicchio
Verdicchio (, also , ) is a white Italian wine grape variety grown primarily in the Marche region of central Italy.J. Robinson ''Jancis Robinson's Guide to Wine Grapes'' pg 195 Oxford University Press 1996 The name ''Verdicchio'' derives from ' ...
,
Malvasia
Malvasia (, also known as Malvazia) is a group of wine grape varieties grown historically in the Mediterranean region, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands and the island of Madeira, but now grown in many of the winemaking regions of the world. I ...
,
Chardonnay
Chardonnay (, , ) is a green-skinned grape variety used in the production of white wine. The variety originated in the Burgundy wine region of eastern French wine, France, but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from English wine, Englan ...
,
Sauvignon blanc
is a green-skinned grape variety that originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French words ''sauvage'' ("wild") and ''blanc'' ("white") due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in ...
,
Grechetto
Grechetto () or Grechetto bianco is a white Italian wine grape variety of Greek origins. The grape is planted throughout central Italy, particularly in the Umbria region where it is used in the ''Denominazione di origine controllata'' (DOC) win ...
and
Incrocio Bruni 54. The wine can be made in a still, sparkling ''spumante'' or as
passito
Straw wine, or raisin wine, is a wine made from grapes that have been dried to concentrate their juice. The result is similar to that of the ice wine process, but is a much older process and suitable for warm climates. The technique dates back ...
dessert wine
Dessert wines, sometimes called pudding wines in the United Kingdom, are sweet wines typically served with dessert.
There is no simple definition of a dessert wine. In the UK, a dessert wine is considered to be any sweet wine drunk with a meal ...
. Any Pecorino destined for DOC wines must be
harvested at a yield no greater than 15 tonnes/hectare with the finished wine in all styles needing to attain a minimum
alcohol level
Alcohol by volume (abbreviated as ABV, abv, or alc/vol) is a standard measure of how much alcohol (ethanol) is contained in a given volume of an alcoholic beverage (expressed as a volume percent). It is defined as the number of millilitres (mL) o ...
of at least 11%.
[P. Saunders ''Wine Label Language'', pp. 146-187. Firefly Books 2004 .]
In Controguerra, up to 30% of Pecorino in combination with Verdicchio and Chardonnay can be used in the Trebbiano-based sparkling wines of the DOC. Grapes are limited to a harvest yield of no more than 14 tonnes/hectare with the finished wine needing a minimum alcohol level of 11%.
Within the Falerio dei Colli Ascolani DOC, up to 25% Pecorino can be used along with
Pinot blanc
Pinot blanc is a white wine grape. It is a point genetic mutation of Pinot noir. Pinot noir is genetically unstable and will occasionally experience a point mutation in which a vine bears all black fruit except for one cane which produces white ...
,
Passerina
The genus ''Passerina'' is a group of birds in the cardinal family (Cardinalidae). Although not directly related to Bunting (bird), buntings in the family Emberizidae, they are sometimes known as the North American buntings (the North American ...
, Verdicchio and Malvasia (itself limited to no more than 7%) in the Trebbiano-based wines of the region. Grapes in this white-wine only Marche DOC are limited a maximum yield of 14 tonnes/ha with the a minimum alcohol level for the finished wine of at least 11.5%.
Offida DOCG
In Offida, Pecorino can 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. ...
provided it makes up at least 85% of the blend with other local, non-aromatic grapes permitted to fill in the remainder. Here grapes are limited to a yield of 10 tonnes/ha with the finished wines have an alcohol level of at least 12%. However, unlike Passerina which is also grown in the DOCG, Pecorino is not currently permitted to be used in the DOC's ''
Vin Santo
Vin Santo ("holy wine") is a style of Italian dessert wine. Traditional in Tuscany, these wines are often made from white grape varieties such as Trebbiano and Malvasia, though Sangiovese may be used to produce a ''rosé'' style known as "Occ ...
'' style wine.
Synonyms and confusion with other grapes
Over the years Pecorino has been known under a variety of synonyms including: Arquitano, Biancuccia, Bifolchetto, Bifolco, Bifolvo, Dolcipappola, Dolcipappolo, Forcese, Forconese, Iuvino, Juvino, Lanzesa, Moscianello, Mosciolo, Mostarello, Norcino, Pecorella, Pecorello, Pecorello di Rogliano, Pecori, Pecorina, Pecorina Aquitanella, Pecorina Arquatanella, Pecorino Bianco, Pecorino de Arquata, Pecorino di Arquata, Pecorino di Osimo, Piscianello, Piscianino, Promotico, Sgranarella, Stricarella, Striccarella, Trebbiano Viccio, Uva Cani, Uva degli Osti, Uva Dell'occhio Piccola, Uva Delle Donne, Uva Delle Peccore, Uvarella, Uvina, Vecia, Verdicchio Bastardo Bianco, Vissanello and Vissanello bianco.
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 ...
(VIVC)
Pecorino
'' Accessed 25 March 2013.
Pecorino is sometimes confused with the
Calabrian wine
Calabrian wine (Italian: ''Vino Calabrese'') is Italian wine from the Calabria region of southern Italy. Over 90% of the region's wine production is red wine, with a large portion made from the Gaglioppo grape. Calabria has 12 ''Denominazione di ...
grape
Greco bianco due to the similarities in synonyms with Greco often being called ''Pecorello bianco''.
References
External links
Pecorino Doc - Pecorino Doc{{in lang, en, from Picenos
White wine grape varieties
Wine grapes of Italy