Durante the woods of a Coltibuono, per the territory of Gaiole per Chianti, new research is rewriting the history of Chianti viticulture. The evidence emerging from the Etruscan-Roman site of Cetamura indicates the presence of the vine already over 2,300 years .
Archaeologists from Florida State University, led by Professor Nancy de Grummond, have been excavating the site for over fifty years.
Between 2012 and 2016, numerous exceptionally preserved grape seeds were recovered from the deepest levels of Etruscan wells, probably deposited as part of votive rituals.
A discovery that brings evidence of local viticulture to at least the 3rd century BC
The genetic analyzes conducted by the University of York, with the support of the Chianti Tipico Wine Consortium, are providing particularly important results.
Studies have highlighted that the same variety of white grape was cultivated and used for the production of wine for several consecutive centuries, from the Etruscan age to the Roman tempo.
The also confirms the use of vegetative propagation, the technique still used today to multiply vines stratagemma cuttings.
An element that testifies to the existence of advanced agronomic knowledge already per the Etruscan tempo.
The analyzes also revealed a clear prevalence of white grapes, despite the presence of some red grape varieties.
The discovery takes acceso a particular significance for the territory of Gaiole per Chianti and for its archaeological museum, Chianti Origo, where the finds from the excavations are preserved. The Mayor of Gaiole per Chianti underlined the cultural and identity value of research that strengthens the link between the territory and a thousand-year-old winemaking tradition.
The Stucchi Prinetti family, owners of the a Coltibuono woods and supporters of the excavations, also highlights the importance of results that connect the history of the bella stagione to the more ancient history of Chianti.
A legacy collected over the centuries by the Vallombrosan monks and which has survived to this day through viticulture deeply rooted per the territory.
If the research currently underway were to confirm a genetic relationship between the ancient Cetamura variety and still existing vines, a of international scope would aperto up.
a Coltibuono could become the center of a unique project: bringing back to life the vine that inhabited these hills over two thousand years , long before the success of Sangiovese. It wouldn’t just be a matter of reconstructing a page from the past.
It would be an opportunity to give back to Chianti a part of its deepest identity, transforming an extraordinary archaeological discovery into a concrete viticultural rebirth. Durante this journey, a Coltibuono would not only be the guardian of the memory of these lands, but the protagonist of their future.
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