Vuillermin () is a red

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 fo ...

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 ...

grown along the border of Switzerland in the

Aosta Valley , Valdostan or Valdotainian it, Valdostano (man) it, Valdostana (woman)french: Valdôtain (man)french: Valdôtaine (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = Official languages , population_blank1 = Italian French ...

of northwest Italy. First documented under the name Vuillermin in 1890, the grape was virtually extinct until it was discovered by ampelographers at the Institut Agricole Régional of

Aosta Aosta (, , ; french: Aoste , formerly ; frp, Aoûta , ''Veulla'' or ''Ouhta'' ; lat, Augusta Praetoria Salassorum; wae, Augschtal; pms, Osta) is the principal city of Aosta Valley, a bilingual region in the Italian Alps, north-northwest of ...

growing in isolated vineyards in communes of Châtillon and Pontey.J. Robinson, J. Harding and J. Vouillamoz ''Wine Grapes - A complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including their origins and flavours'' pg 1154 Allen Lane 2012

History

In 1838, Italian ampelographer Lorenzo Gatta documented the wine grapes growing in the

of which he included a grape known as Spron (or Eperon). In 1999, ampelographer Giulio Moriondo noted the similarities in the description of the Spron/Eperon grape and Vuillermin and speculated that the two grapes may be the same variety. The first documented mention of the grape under the name Vuillermin was in 1890 by L. N. Bich in the ''Bulletin du Comice Agricole''. Today, ampelographers believe that Vuillermin was likely the name of a local family in the Aosta Valley who may have helped propagate the variety. In 2011, DNA analysis showed that Vuillermin was the offspring of the red Aosta variety Fumin and an unknown grapevine that is possibly now extinct. Vuillermin, itself, was on the verge of extinction until it was discovered in the late 20th century by ampelographers working for the Institut Agricole Régional growing in old vineyards in the communes of Châtillon and Pontey. The ampelographers brought the vine back to the nursery at the Institut and have been assisting local growers with revitalizing plantings of the grape.

Viticulture

Vuillermin is a late ripening grapevine which can present viticultural challenges in cool climate regions like the Aosta Valley with its shorter growing seasons.

Wine regions

In 2000, there was only of Vuillermin planted across three vineyards in the Aosta Valley. In addition the nursery planting in Aosta at the Institut Agricole Régional, individual growers in

Chambave Chambave ( Valdôtain: or ; Issime wae, Tschambuvu) is a town and ''comune'' in the Aosta Valley region of northwestern Italy. The communal territory is crossed by the Dora Baltea (french: Doire baltée). Wine Growers in Chambave produce s ...

and Sarre were also experimenting with the variety. While the grape is rarely seen 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. ...

, it is a permitted blending variety 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 tipi ...

'' (DOC) wines of the

Valle d'Aosta , Valdostan or Valdotainian it, Valdostano (man) it, Valdostana (woman)french: Valdôtain (man)french: Valdôtaine (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = Official languages , population_blank1 = Italian French , ...

Synonyms

Over the years, Vuillermin has been known under a variety of synonyms including: Eperon and Spron.

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)
Vuillermin
' Accessed: February 18th, 2014

References

{{reflist Red wine grape varieties