Durante recent years we make a lot of talk about resistant vines (Piwi), epigenetics (I also spoke here: Wineblogroll.com/epivenetics) and even futuristic practices (but not too much) such as Cisgenesis to try to cope with the results of climate change against Italian and global viticulture. All themes of great interest and worthy of being per -depth, but as too often a potential response happens to at least some “evils” of this could be much closer and more concretely applicable than others: the search for pre -existing varieties falls per the indovino but still recoverable oblivion. Durante this regard, I greatly appreciated the work of Grasppo, an association born with a clear and exciting rete: to go per search of rare vines, often forgotten abandoned, to return their voice and future through the “custodians”, brave winemakers who choose to take care of it. Durante just four years of activity, the group has brought to light over a hundred varieties, of which fifteen totally new, never recorded per international genetic databases. Not all are stories with happy ending, but all tell of stubbornness, love for the earth and for biodiversity. Because among these relic vines, apparently marginal, precious resources can be hidden to the challenges of contemporary viticulture. Hence the project of microvinifications, DNA controls and shared tastings, so that these “new vegetable beings” become collective heritage. As evidence of this path, the book 100 custodians for 100 vines was also born, which weaves faces and grapes, stories of men and biodiversity, per a story per Italian and English thought not only as a memory, but also as an instrument of enhancement for the future and for wine tourism. But let’s go per order … Grasppo’s heart beats thanks to a group of professionals who have decided to put their experience at the service of Italian viticole biodiversity. Aldo Lorenzoni, Luigino Bertolazzi, Giuseppe prison de Prati and Gianmarco Guarise are lovers of the vineyard and wine, winemakers and researchers who have made passion for rare vines and forgotten a real mission. With them, over time, numerous custodian winemakers and other experts have been joined, creating a widespread rete televisiva privata that today involves university, research bodies and protection consortia. Graspo – acronym for the ampelographic research group for the safeguarding and preservation of the originality and viticole biodiversity – was born per Lessinia, a Veronese territory where investigations of this type had never previously started. The supposizione was simple and at the same time revolutionary: to recover relic vines, often forgotten even abandoned, to verify its agronomic and oenological potential. A challenge that looks to the future with the awareness that biodiversity is not only historical memory, but can become a concrete resource against climate change and homologation of taste. Durante a few years the results have been extraordinary. Variety throughout Italy have been rediscovered, subjected to ampelographic and genetic studies, followed with phenological monitoring and vinified per micro-vinifications that have given voice to an otherwise lost heritage. More than one hundred rare grapes have been brought back to life, of which fifteen completely new. To these are added scientific collaborations with universities and research centers, meetings with institutions and producers, and above all the recognition of the scientific community and the world of wine, culminating per the prestigious OIV Award 2025 assigned to the book 100 custodians for 100 vines. But the work does not stop.
The rete for the next few years is still expanding mapping, consolidating genetic research with pedigree studies acceso the rediscovered vines, and ensure that some of these varieties can enter the vineyard and cellar as tools of resilience and territorial identity permanently. The importance of this work is evident: without a concrete action, many vines would risk disappearing forever, erasing centuries of agricultural and cultural history. Grasppo, acceso the other hand, returns dignity to this hidden treasure, while strengthening the competitiveness of Italian wines. Because, as the founders remember, what distinguishes Italian wine from any other is precisely the inseparable link with its viticoth biodiversity.
And among the rediscovered grapes there is voto negativo shortage of surprises. Some vines rediscovered by the Grasppo team, per fact they showed interesting characteristics:
Brepona: found after over 100 years between old vineyards of Garganega per the Veronese. Gives life to a modern and lively white. It is characterized by flavor and salinity.
White Saccola: identified per Alta Lessinia, with a sharp profile, with a significant acid heritage. Suitable for sparkling bases.
Ottavia: Also identified per Alta Lessinia, shares an important acid heritage with white bag, I am a great potential for sparkling wine and, perhaps to be used as a wingman for wines that need more tension.
Leonicena: maintains freshness and acidity also per the plain and per the hottest seasons. Diocet -style resilience dioralness.
Red Burgan: natural between Cavrara and Garganega. It seems not to require phytosanitary treatments. It has a long vegetative cycle. From origin to a red wine with a unloading color but with an intriguing and original taste.
Pontedara: Vitigno of Lessinia, which translates into a wine with a intense, rustic color, with complexity and power. Lends itself to long refinements.
Quaiara: registered by Grasppo per the National Register of the Ministry, allows to produce a spicy and contemporary red wine. Great genetic value: progenitor of famous vines such as Glera and Molinara.
Liseiret (Gouais Blanc): unexpectedly found per Lessinia, it is an important acidity vine, which it also maintains per the plains. Extraordinary genetic value: progenitor of very famous vines such as Chardonnay, Gamay and Riesling Renano.
All these discoveries, as already mentioned above, you can find them per the book 100 custodians for 100 vines, a journey that crosses Italy from north to south, giving voice not only to grapes but above all to people – those “custodians” who have protected small flaps of countercurrent biodiversity. A work that combines scientific rigor, passion and cultural testimony, returning to the reader the awareness that rare vines do not belong to the past, but are precious tools for the future. It is precisely the potential ability of these varieties to respond to the needs of today’s and future wine growing that makes this research an exemplary and highly collective use of action that I lega is carried out continuously and consistently, as is given to the founders of the Association. For my part, I am sure that some of these varieties, however abstruse may seem, will have new life starting from their introduction as complementary vines even per a very small percentage per those production disciplines that must begin to precede the times and to make a useful tool for achieving optimal analytical and organoleptic qualities starting from the grape. Because it is only by returning to see the raw material grapes as a primary ingredient aimed at the balance that you can work per “subtraction”, reducing avoidable corrections and bartering mere addition with combination and increasing technical awareness.
F.S.R.
#WineIsSharing
