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Pugnitello
30 December 2009
Dr Brendan Jansen
Does the name Pugnitello mean anything to You?
I would be surprised if it did. It is the name of an indigenous or authoctonous grape variety from here in Tuscany, Italy. In ancient times, the Etruscans were the inhabitants of this area, before they were overrun by the Romans a couple of centuries BC. They were early cultivars of the vine – though they usually let the vines climb along trees in trails the vines set themselves.
In recent years, scientists, winemakers and vignerons have been concerned by the attrition of grape vine varieties – in what they call the “genetic erosion” of Vitis vinifera – due to, among other reasons, the phylloxera blight and selection of specific varieties to the exclusion of others. Full Report...
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