tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10801619098220874302024-03-17T20:56:04.264-04:00Wine -- Mise en abymeA quest for knowledge. A mandate to share.wineORLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06163150468541915038noreply@blogger.comBlogger1177125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080161909822087430.post-52835548117059057082024-03-17T10:42:00.001-04:002024-03-17T20:55:32.729-04:00Tasting selected Constellation Brands' To Kalon Wines<div>I have tasted all of the estate wines grown in the <a href="https://mowse.blogspot.com/2023/02/a-review-of-farming-philosophies-and.html">Collective To Kalon Vineyard</a>, and a number of the wines made from fruit purchased from Beckstoffer To Kalon, but have not tasted any of the Constellation To Kalon wines. I sought to partially address this shortcoming by organizing a tasting of the following wines:</div><div><div><ol><li>Robert Mondavi The Estates Fumé Blanc 2021</li><li>Double Diamond Cabernet Sauvignon 2021</li><li>To Kalon Vineyard Company Eliza's 2019</li><li>To Kalon Vineyard Company H. W. C. 2019</li><li>To Kalon Wine Company Highest Beauty 2019</li><li>Robert Mondavi The Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2015</li><li>Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve.</li></ol></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYa33ISl7rL-27adBiRBAqbw-xrngtYTEM0Bifj_NnsTMYgMWifVpijIwoxxTMKSpXQSTJ3TcmHb2TcF23fDnu8s7Zmmdmm56TFKNSqNtWzzJa2oWn5lYu1UUNeQ8TzyqwaMTO6KeCT3hOOMbqLd4mDYRRL6FHZtef_yFvL267yri9qGOxG7CtzIW1LjY/s4032/IMG_6462.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYa33ISl7rL-27adBiRBAqbw-xrngtYTEM0Bifj_NnsTMYgMWifVpijIwoxxTMKSpXQSTJ3TcmHb2TcF23fDnu8s7Zmmdmm56TFKNSqNtWzzJa2oWn5lYu1UUNeQ8TzyqwaMTO6KeCT3hOOMbqLd4mDYRRL6FHZtef_yFvL267yri9qGOxG7CtzIW1LjY/s320/IMG_6462.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lineup -- tasted from right to left</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuYAa2_RPCW8x9osOWLZK2DCJtfKZnFt99UZwTo4Rl1HWThWgdpa30mwKjliROzuNWQybC_4pTXTlBTub6mXR1a_10oo9Zmd0baI90IZgZ8bVPmOWsbf2juomKmnA8XPuoxOag2wp4Fk-EQcWmwxaHMGhhzcjehywHtUjKd-k62ACpxVhz5SmYlWpE9Vo/s4032/IMG_6451.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuYAa2_RPCW8x9osOWLZK2DCJtfKZnFt99UZwTo4Rl1HWThWgdpa30mwKjliROzuNWQybC_4pTXTlBTub6mXR1a_10oo9Zmd0baI90IZgZ8bVPmOWsbf2juomKmnA8XPuoxOag2wp4Fk-EQcWmwxaHMGhhzcjehywHtUjKd-k62ACpxVhz5SmYlWpE9Vo/s320/IMG_6451.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tasting team</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><b>Robert Mondavi The Estates Fumé Blanc 2021</b> -- Fumé Blanc was the name that Robert Mondavi bestowed on dry-fermented, high-quality Sauvignon Blanc in a period when most Napa-built SBs were sweet. His inspiration was the Sauvignon Blancs from the Loire Valley. The 2021 version of this wine was made from fruit sourced from two blocks of the I-block clone and is mostly Sauvignon Blanc with "a dash of Semillon."</div><div><br /></div><div>The wine presented as older than its actual age. Earthy, with tropical fruit notes, faded lychee, and crushed-stone minerality on the nose. Medium weight with great acidity and a lengthy finish.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Double Diamond Cabernet Sauvignon 2021</b> -- Introduced in 2001 as a Cabernet Sauvignon cuvée with fruit drawn from top Napa Valley sites, the wine was placed on hiatus in 2016. It was brought out of cold storage in 2018 using To Kalon fruit.</div><div><br /></div><div>The 2021 version was fruit-forward and dominated by notes of dark berry fruit, chocolate, cassis and spice. On the lighter side. Disappointing finish.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>To Kalon Vineyard Company 2019 Eliza'</b>s -- Named after Elizabeth Yount, the widow of George Yount, the founder of Yountville. The 2019 edition of this wine was a 63%/37% blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. The winemaker at To Kalon Vineyard Company was Andy Erickson from the inception to 2022. In 2022 he shared winemaking responsibility with Tony Biagi, the torch-bearer for subsequent vintages.</div><div><br /></div><div>Complex; especially apparent when following the Double Diamond. Broad-based with red and blue fruit, smoke, forest floor, and spice on the nose. Rich and thick on the palate but with a soft mouthfeel. Ripe fruit. Lengthy finish.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>To Kalon Vineyard Company 2019 H.W.C.</b> -- 100% Cabernet Sauvignon named after the original founder of To Kalon Vineyard. Sourced from Heritage clones originally planted by Robert Mondavi. </div><div><br /></div><div>Intense red and black fruit, smoke, baking spices, and neutral shoe polish on the nose. Rich on the palate with good length on the finish.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>To Kalon Vineyard Company 2019 Highest Beauty</b> -- 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Fruit from the 2016 harvest constituted the first wine of this label.</div><div><br /></div><div>Rich black fruit and baking spices on the nose with a full body and velvety tannins on the palate. Long finish.</div><div><br /></div><div>The <b>Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon</b> has historically included 10% - 15% fruit from Macdonald Vineyard. The 2015 version is 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot, and 2% each Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. That vintage showed dark fruit on the nose along with plum, tobacco, cedar, and baking spices. Lengthy finish. The 1988 edition showed dark fruit, dark chocolate, graphite and leather on the nose. Fully resolved tannins and a long finish.</div><div><br /></div><div>***********************************************************************************************************</div><div>I was excited to taste these wines because I have come to the conclusion, based largely on the Detert and Macdonald wines, that To Kalon wines are some of the most tasty in the Valley. I was not blown away. With the exception of the Reserve Cabernet Sauvignons, the wines tasted were relatively young and will probably show more of their pedigree with the passage of time. That being said, the To Kalon Company wines stand in the shadow of the <a href="https://mowse.blogspot.com/2017/03/a-43-acre-plot-of-historic-to-kalon.html">MacDonald Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon</a>.</div><div><br /></div></div><div><br /></div>©Wine -- <i>Mise en abyme</i>wineORLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06163150468541915038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080161909822087430.post-25591299680209118612024-03-10T07:43:00.000-04:002024-03-10T07:43:31.598-04:00Constellation Brands: The "Bigfoot" of To Kalon Vineyard<div>The title of this post refers to <a href="https://www.cbrands.com/">Constellation Brands</a> as the "Bigfoot" of To Kalon Vineyard and the relative size distribution of the various players in this space, illustrated in the chart below, is one factor that bears out this characterization.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicoPx5DsZEryUlDFMhQ9sIWJH8lTLl7-Nlx2LsXuPhr176amrYNmKDzOGPTvJTffFr-3_DhkBlObAbHQqBRHmVvOpe-v8NTiA-GYMBnCfNcepV0e6xxQ_1kTk6ZF_rbz_Q7rZPfouZCpwgvRO61DafgdqznlV0VA4Yvgz06s0M0hEFI-Rdzq5DNmaR/s1231/Screen%20Shot%202023-02-08%20at%2011.13.47%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="856" data-original-width="1231" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicoPx5DsZEryUlDFMhQ9sIWJH8lTLl7-Nlx2LsXuPhr176amrYNmKDzOGPTvJTffFr-3_DhkBlObAbHQqBRHmVvOpe-v8NTiA-GYMBnCfNcepV0e6xxQ_1kTk6ZF_rbz_Q7rZPfouZCpwgvRO61DafgdqznlV0VA4Yvgz06s0M0hEFI-Rdzq5DNmaR/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-02-08%20at%2011.13.47%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><div>Another factor was the legal decision handed down by the courts in the Vineyard House Winery suit to allow its use of the To Kalon name on its labels. One of Vineyard House Winery's claims was that To Kalon was a place name and, as such, not "trademarkable." Constellation, which had received the To Kalon (registered by Mondavi in 1988) and To Kalon Vineyard (registered by Mondavi in 1994) trademarks as part of the proceeds of the Robert Mondavi purchase, contested this claim vigorously.</div><div><br /></div><div>In the decision handed down in January 2021, the judge ruled that Constellation could use the term To Kalon both as a brand and " a reference to all of their alluvial fields in Oakville." In addition, a permanent injunction was granted preventing non-Constellation use of To Kalon without the trademark holder's permission.</div><div><br /></div></div></div><div>Hence ...</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Background</b></div><div>I have detailed the <a href="https://mowse.blogspot.com/2012/06/to-kalon-chronology-and-genealogy-of.html">history of the To Kalon Vineyard</a> elsewhere; a summary is provided in the chart below.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL-ZykIZJ2s8MOEm1REeBdfUC7rbjpA2BH4NFTWBsLiwo_TVA4QGKkrqOX9CaLefYnFZ271K7k-JAfvf26DO2dbAGpT4jvjeRTBpv4aVzC4GIm73G178IlUP2mBC72PzsGPrXmWQ4UWhMi5KqLllx2a9sxFgAUIQHCKE5jebylw8hn4WNvpq1UO8z1ZKk/s1813/fullsizeoutput_175.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="814" data-original-width="1813" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL-ZykIZJ2s8MOEm1REeBdfUC7rbjpA2BH4NFTWBsLiwo_TVA4QGKkrqOX9CaLefYnFZ271K7k-JAfvf26DO2dbAGpT4jvjeRTBpv4aVzC4GIm73G178IlUP2mBC72PzsGPrXmWQ4UWhMi5KqLllx2a9sxFgAUIQHCKE5jebylw8hn4WNvpq1UO8z1ZKk/s320/fullsizeoutput_175.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Constellation Brands came into the To Kalon frame with its purchase of Robert Mondavi in 2004. The Mondavi family had sold 2.5 million shares in the company to the public on June 10, 1993 but retained a controlling interest post the transaction. At this time Michael and Tim were co-Managing Directors, Marcia (their sister) was a partner, and Clifford Adams was the COO. </div><div><br /></div><div>The now-public company flourished until it experienced slowing business performance in the early 2000s. The board thought that a reorganization which sold off the high-end portfolio (Mondavi Winery, Ornellaia, and its ownership stake in Opus One), while retaining the inexpensive offerings (Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi, Robert Mondavi Private Selection) would return the enterprise to profitability. Constellation countered this reorganization plan by offering to buy the enterprise for $970 million, an offer which the Board members seemed to ignore. Shareholder lawsuits, and a sweetened offer of $1.03 billion) from Constellation, resulted in the Board considering -- and accepting -- the offer. The deal, closed on 12/22/04, resulted in the separation of the Mondavi family from the business, with Robert retained as a Brand Ambassador.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgePy35I_-s8BigBoQU_YO_A2egq1S_oH3TDPAc1pvLp_1rPiOzm2p-1hUUBNnGBC9t5ZuLUYmInszt0u9wXPlxZKBP0HD8HrcUFZVVNVqaMQun4qpr58aq5Mm0um9hnyDGxQqlcQauQgENUHYKDJFLmvsWa4yR474B04ftAz9UbLst4ExyZbYEIYLC/s971/Screen%20Shot%202023-02-07%20at%2012.18.32%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="743" data-original-width="971" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgePy35I_-s8BigBoQU_YO_A2egq1S_oH3TDPAc1pvLp_1rPiOzm2p-1hUUBNnGBC9t5ZuLUYmInszt0u9wXPlxZKBP0HD8HrcUFZVVNVqaMQun4qpr58aq5Mm0um9hnyDGxQqlcQauQgENUHYKDJFLmvsWa4yR474B04ftAz9UbLst4ExyZbYEIYLC/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-02-07%20at%2012.18.32%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><b>Constellation's Leveraging of the To Kalon Vineyard</b><br /><div>Constellation bought Schrader Cellars on June 16, 2017. This company's brand was, <a href="https://mowse.blogspot.com/2017/07/i-dont-get-commidification-of-to-kalon.html">according to Tim Carl</a>, "built on the marketing prowess of Schrader, the winemaking reputation and skills of Thomas Brown, and the quality of fruit and name recognition of the Beckstoffer Vineyard." Subsequent to the purchase, Constellation has introduced two new wines under this eponymous label: Heritage Clone To Kalon Vineyard and Monastery Block To Kalon. The latter, first released with the 2017 vintage, is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon Clone 169 from the vineyard's Monastery Block. The former, initiated with the 2018 vintage, is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon Clone 39 from Block N2S of the vineyard.</div><div><br /></div><div>Schrader has a second label called Double Diamond which it had placed on hiatus in 2016. This label was first introduced in 2001 as a Cabernet Sauvignon cuvée which drew its fruit from top Napa Valley sites. With access to To Kalon fruit, the label was brought out of cold storage with the 2018 vintage as an Oakville cuvée with the bulk of its fruit sourced from the home vineyard.</div><div><br /></div><div>In May of 2019, Constellation announced its Fine Wine Division's launch of To Kalon Vineyard Wine Company, a label helmed by Andy Erickson and using fruit sourced from the To Kalon Vineyard. The initial offering -- named Highest Beauty (100% Cabernet Sauvignon) -- utilized fruit from the vineyard's 2016 harvest.</div><div><br /></div><div>Subsequently, To Kalon Vineyard Wine Company has introduced two additional wines: (i) H.W.C. Cabernet Sauvignon (Initials of the To Kalon founder; 100% Cabernet Sauvignon Heritage Clone) and (ii) Eliza's Red Wine (Cabernet Sauvignon-Cabernet Franc blend named after Elizabeth Yount, the widow of the founder of Yountville). The 2019 edition of this wine was a blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon and 37% Cabernet Franc.</div><div><br /></div><div>Beginning with the 2022 vintage, the winemaker of To Kalon Wine Company will be <a href="https://tokalonvineyardcompany.com/pages/winemaker">Tony Biagi</a>. He will share that responsibility with Andy Erickson for that vintage and will then have sole responsibility going forward.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Organic Certification</b></div><div>The Constellation Brands portion of Collective To Kalon has been farmed sustainably for a number of years under the <a href="https://napagreen.org/">Napa Green</a> certification regime but the company has been hard at work over the past three years readying To Kalon Vineyard for organic certification. Constellation currently manages 497 acres of the combined historic To Kalon Vineyard plus the non-Opus portion of the Stelling Extension and, of this, a total of 331 acres have attained organic certification. Younger vines and buffer blocks remain uncertified at this time. The first vintage of organic fruit will come with the 2023 harvest.</div><div><br /></div><div>********************************************************************************************************</div><div><div>I have tasted, and written about, all of the estate wines from Collective To Kalon, as well as selected wines from Beckstoffer To Kalon, but have not so treated the Constellation To Kalon wines. I recently organized a tasting to address that shortcoming and will report on it in a follow-up post.</div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>©Wine -- <i>Mise en abyme</i>wineORLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06163150468541915038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080161909822087430.post-27947196774125305062023-11-04T10:44:00.004-04:002023-11-07T05:01:10.357-05:00Daniele Ricci: From Milan Toll Collector to Timorasso disruptor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Colli Tortonesi Timorasso will be "<a href="https://mowse.blogspot.com/2021/08/a-case-for-colli-tortonesi-timorasso-as.html">the next big thing</a>" to emerge from Piemonte and it owes its current position and future potential to the pioneering work of Walter Massa. Massa was not only interested in Timorasso for his own account: "He began to proselytize as regards the variety to anyone who would listen." Daniele Ricci worked as his understudy and acolyte and learned everything that he could before going off and leveraging that knowledge into his own enterprise. I explore Ricci and his wines in this post.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>The Backstory</b></div><div>The Ricci Timorasso story goes back to 1929 when the grandparents of Daniele Ricci (Carlo and Clementina) bought Cascina San Leto, land ensconced within an amphitheater of vineyards close to the center of Costa Vescovato. The new owners planted vineyards (6 to 7 ha) and wheat and embarked on cattle-rearing.</div><div><br /></div><div>During Carlo's stewardship, Timorasso production in Colli Tortonesi declined as farmers shifted to Cortese (more productive) or left farming completely. Carlo, however, bucked both these trends, remaining faithful to the vine and passing it down to successive generations. This was a part of the patrimony when Daniele took control of the estate as a 3rd-generation farmer after a stint as a toll collector on the Italian highway system.</div><div><br /></div><div>The original Costa Vescovato estate currently sits at 15 ha, 11 of which are planted to vines and 6.5 ha of which are dedicated to named vineyards. In addition to the vines, the estate is planted to small quantities of ancient grains, an orchard, and a vegetable garden. The farmhouse is also resident on this property.</div><div><br /></div><div>Daniele and his son Mattia secured 8 ha of land in Carezzano in 2022 and immediately planted 1 ha to Timorasso. </div><div><br /></div><div>The chart below shows the Ricci holdings in the two Colli Tortonesi communes. Named vineyards are described in colored rectangles.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAhtAOxmH-upbN_ytU9hDl4_cP71oow4Shn6y2KAIQUkZYTx_ZUyfpeb8UyUT3-CNmAD2vEw_QorKUlQxr_nKPsLIgGXNrYW2Y8IgLJ5N1Nlm__Vvlrx3_MjiJJUgrr3oALG3sWpJG0rXHd0hcxW9MYw_-LKWj7zjJ50H4a9vJvlyynMwg5FAtm6r9Uy0/s1376/Screen%20Shot%202023-11-07%20at%205.00.46%20AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="825" data-original-width="1376" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAhtAOxmH-upbN_ytU9hDl4_cP71oow4Shn6y2KAIQUkZYTx_ZUyfpeb8UyUT3-CNmAD2vEw_QorKUlQxr_nKPsLIgGXNrYW2Y8IgLJ5N1Nlm__Vvlrx3_MjiJJUgrr3oALG3sWpJG0rXHd0hcxW9MYw_-LKWj7zjJ50H4a9vJvlyynMwg5FAtm6r9Uy0/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-11-07%20at%205.00.46%20AM.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><b>Formation and Evolution of the Ricci Wine-View</b></div><div>Ricci worked as Mazda’s understudy before going off and planting the 1.5 ha Vigna di Carlo at Cascina San Leto. Walter went on to mentor a large number of the small farmers in the region and they, in turn, formed an association organized around his production principles. They met regularly to compare notes and taste each others wines.</div><div><br /></div><div>Massa’s principles, at that time, were as follows:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Hand harvesting</li><li>Maceration on the skins </li><li>Soft pressing</li><li>Fermentation with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel tanks</li><li>Spontaneous malolactic fermentation after temperatures reduced to 10 - 18 degrees C</li><li>Wine aged for 1 year in stainless steel tanks (with batonnage)</li><li>Light filtration prior to bottling</li><li>Minimum 6 months bottle aging.</li></ul></div><div>Given his early association with Walter, it is more likely than not that Ricci adhered to these principles early in his winemaking career.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Colli Tortonesi formula was a key element in Timorasso’s success. The success, in turn, led to (i) new market entrants and (ii) some of the disciples changing the formula and profile of the Timorasso wine in order to place their own stamp on the market. Daniele Ricci was one of these change agents.</div><div><br /></div><div>Daniele has great respect for the vine and life and sought to “produce varietal wines that are representative of tradition and terroir while working as naturally as possible in both the vineyard and the cellar.” This is manifested in the vineyard by organic farming. He practiced organic farming beginning in 1999 and became certified (Suole e salute) in 2017. But it is in the cellar that Ricci has shown the widest divergence (the disrupting bit) from the traditional recipe with practices such as:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Long maceration on skins</li><li>Exclusive use of indigenous yeasts</li><li>Refining in underground amphorae</li><li>No filtration</li><li>No fining</li><li>Minuscule sulfur.</li></ul></div><div>Daniele Ricci crafts Timorasso wines from calcareous clay marl vineyards planted in 1986, 1989, 1992, and 1996. His traditional production method is fermentation in stainless steel followed by elevage in stainless steel or untreated oak or acacia barrels. In the case of his Io Camino Da Solo wine, however, the grapes are macerated for 100 days in amphora before transfer to untoasted oak barrels for 12 months aging.</div><div><br /></div><div>Ricci’s application of these techniques are explicated in his wine portfolio as captured in the chart below.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDZg_jTouwfu3mhcyAgdnoUiQyN-QrFQXBc7nQb6AlRKTmTYRou9EM2p8m9c7kZr123hWymOqo3Pa2ABCRm9cQjRZtuqYAoq2K62EKd4Lzp_Efxcz5dyGjQ2jDnGopXS0zyJl0NYvzefpEr7ztuhpYlKe-VzFDfwfR62ZJ5Mq7bGGqzhcEYNB7NtbO9oI/s1920/ricci%20wines.001.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDZg_jTouwfu3mhcyAgdnoUiQyN-QrFQXBc7nQb6AlRKTmTYRou9EM2p8m9c7kZr123hWymOqo3Pa2ABCRm9cQjRZtuqYAoq2K62EKd4Lzp_Efxcz5dyGjQ2jDnGopXS0zyJl0NYvzefpEr7ztuhpYlKe-VzFDfwfR62ZJ5Mq7bGGqzhcEYNB7NtbO9oI/s320/ricci%20wines.001.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>In addition to the wines shown above, Ricci also makes two sparkling wines dedicated to his Grandmother Clementina. The first is a classic method sparkling wine from 100% Timorasso grapes. It is zero dosage and aged 36 months on the lees. The base wine is a blend of wine macerated for 90 days on skins and wine fermented and aged in acacia barrels in effect a blend of Giallo di Costa and San Leto). The second sparkling wine is a Rosé which has all the characteristics of the wine above except that 5% Barbera is added to the blend and the wine is aged for 24 months on the lees.</div><div><br /></div><div>I tasted a 2019 vintage of the Derthona recently.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNMm83VUZb8pwgmCZeNSb9yLGU31XG3QDcQzbhUE4I_dEgLKEKmh_svGhYkQzIJb3hXeozyOPLwFqxCTaGuK1dZaUOiWjVEt-4DWTP4SiRHEHzrOkzid0PlI8miB_DbYl6olsyswje4iglfJf0KvQrXPZEeo5ztBojZ1B4KSCdRV3F_26c78N7Hd3WJC8/s2048/712D6549-7EB1-4207-B035-DCA52F831E34.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNMm83VUZb8pwgmCZeNSb9yLGU31XG3QDcQzbhUE4I_dEgLKEKmh_svGhYkQzIJb3hXeozyOPLwFqxCTaGuK1dZaUOiWjVEt-4DWTP4SiRHEHzrOkzid0PlI8miB_DbYl6olsyswje4iglfJf0KvQrXPZEeo5ztBojZ1B4KSCdRV3F_26c78N7Hd3WJC8/s320/712D6549-7EB1-4207-B035-DCA52F831E34.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>Beautiful brown-orange color attesting to the 3-day skin contact. Derthona nose. Sage and herbs ascendant. Elegant. Wax, spice, peach, lychee, and sago porridge also detected on the nose. Bright acidity with orange-tangerine, drying metal and pepper spice on the palate. Medium weight. Balanced.</div><div><br /></div>©Wine -- Mise en abymewineORLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06163150468541915038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080161909822087430.post-70741468518464702562023-10-27T09:13:00.000-04:002023-10-27T09:13:20.471-04:00Muscat of Lemnos, Greece's sole Muscat of Alexandria wine <div>Lemnos, the 8th largest of the Greek islands, has a long history of viticulture and winemaking, evidenced by mentions in the writings of Hesiod and Aristotle. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidhO2aFkZvE0zojL_kBM0dE5R7guPsnGEPdUDzGM2DMMgB5IgnDCjPfDvtomxkkhN-RpBf3yD1XSYBZmK2awsAKuI_cPBwnmk9XiYVrqrOOUdDmtq9-fcTE958_lgdSjqGQcRr4rbY41U57QSbyRCLQuHsCp1pMt3DHSpa-2NoxJrptlfoP1-8sGzQH9Q/s556/Screen%20Shot%202023-10-26%20at%2010.24.35%20AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="556" data-original-width="479" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidhO2aFkZvE0zojL_kBM0dE5R7guPsnGEPdUDzGM2DMMgB5IgnDCjPfDvtomxkkhN-RpBf3yD1XSYBZmK2awsAKuI_cPBwnmk9XiYVrqrOOUdDmtq9-fcTE958_lgdSjqGQcRr4rbY41U57QSbyRCLQuHsCp1pMt3DHSpa-2NoxJrptlfoP1-8sGzQH9Q/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-10-26%20at%2010.24.35%20AM.png" width="276" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lemnos indicated by red circle</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><div>That fame, though, was based on the red grape variety Limnio (also known as Kalambaki) which was dethroned with the introduction of Muscat of Alexandria (known locally as Moschato Alexandrias) from Egypt in the early part of the 20th century. Today 506 ha of vines are cultivated on the island, 90% to 95% of which is Muscat of Alexandria. </div><div><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY1iCRHZ11k0Ka4f7jFlklO4btZUqsga-wGIpcrVG0KfbwWqgRjs_XJ7eD58o92E35HKUpxSbxGHrGPnl0PlYhagcrluPS2bgOIW-5D4jptm8jajq6M2EoaqQisgYCEHqqdXD7wUrq22KPMgHu62tnJZ4wkgbHqWsiofxdOJD97nbkt7cbEITASvd6l_I/s800/Screen%20Shot%202023-10-26%20at%202.51.47%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="688" data-original-width="800" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY1iCRHZ11k0Ka4f7jFlklO4btZUqsga-wGIpcrVG0KfbwWqgRjs_XJ7eD58o92E35HKUpxSbxGHrGPnl0PlYhagcrluPS2bgOIW-5D4jptm8jajq6M2EoaqQisgYCEHqqdXD7wUrq22KPMgHu62tnJZ4wkgbHqWsiofxdOJD97nbkt7cbEITASvd6l_I/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-10-26%20at%202.51.47%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>The island of Lemnos lies low in the water and, as a result, the surface is susceptible to high winds; especially in the winter. The climate is Mediterranean with warm summers and cold, rainy winters. The winds cool the vineyards during the growing season, tempering the effects of the warm sunshine and extending its length. This microclimate allows the grapes to retain acidity as they develop complex aromas.</div><div><br /></div><div>The growing zone encompasses the entire island but most of the vineyards are located in the central and southern parts of the island, proximate to Atsiki, Moudros, and Nea Koutati. A series of shallow valleys on the southern side of the island facilitate vine-avoidance of the brunt of the strong northerly winds.</div><div><br /></div><div>The soils are "volcanic, infertile, light, and mainly limestone."</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjngTopZ_xL08K8P27Xes3pBkd7c5Xo7HhW5fT0n5GyFLhjiSyn9B7grxF5O_oDaHai0-mmx27GEMPF9UTg6xV2Fha-h4tDkfEp3BlBMBU505I89UwvWOM4Kk9YwgkjmRMD6hfcJ4H1KFZsz4B90neOCQdsFigR6jNpxxRlC6u2gCfO8gBBEqtgA8JwVM/s653/limnos.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="653" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjngTopZ_xL08K8P27Xes3pBkd7c5Xo7HhW5fT0n5GyFLhjiSyn9B7grxF5O_oDaHai0-mmx27GEMPF9UTg6xV2Fha-h4tDkfEp3BlBMBU505I89UwvWOM4Kk9YwgkjmRMD6hfcJ4H1KFZsz4B90neOCQdsFigR6jNpxxRlC6u2gCfO8gBBEqtgA8JwVM/s320/limnos.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Main grape-growing areas <br />(Map sourced from greeceguide.co.uk)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Sparkling, dry, and sweet wines are made from the Muscat variety. The sparkling wines can be semi-sweet or semi-dry. The PDO wines from the island are illustrated in the graphic below.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghC1zwf2dzKI4ypRjqZOit4TNsTtQvIN2cREswdHmmdGGHxpdco7aMVMkOPg3vhvYinY1SiqY0f5hbQEgKRxh8zPVFaouaE-9WtRNh55tQCTJ0blV1WAjsCddoPDXY8BnLt8i1X7pVsantRRlc7Mz64qwnPtCg2Euzl8Ay0KDmPWGNZHJLcETCML8HATY/s1242/Screen%20Shot%202023-10-27%20at%208.21.45%20AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="352" data-original-width="1242" height="91" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghC1zwf2dzKI4ypRjqZOit4TNsTtQvIN2cREswdHmmdGGHxpdco7aMVMkOPg3vhvYinY1SiqY0f5hbQEgKRxh8zPVFaouaE-9WtRNh55tQCTJ0blV1WAjsCddoPDXY8BnLt8i1X7pVsantRRlc7Mz64qwnPtCg2Euzl8Ay0KDmPWGNZHJLcETCML8HATY/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-10-27%20at%208.21.45%20AM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The wines are fortified by adding wine-derived alcohol during -- or just after -- must fermentation. The sweet wines from PDO Limnos must be aged at least 24 months in oak prior to release on the market.<br /><div><br /></div><div>The Muscat wines are characterized by rich aromas and balanced acidity with notes of peach, mint, spearmint, apricot, and flowers. According to Elloinos, these wines are "lighter in style, less extracted and less dense compared to other sweet Muscats" across Greece. </div><div><br /></div><div>The term Grand Cru can be added to the wine label if the grapes are sourced from low-yield estate vineyards.</div><div><br /></div><div>The sweet wines can be used at dessert or can be paired with a variety of cheeses and fruit-based dishes.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>©Wine -- <i>Mise en abyme</i></div>wineORLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06163150468541915038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080161909822087430.post-55752411012048452352023-10-23T21:45:00.001-04:002023-10-24T08:28:36.927-04:00Il Poggio di Gavi: Another Gavi-DOCG-based producer of Colli Tortonesi Timorasso wine<div>Wines from the <a href="https://mowse.blogspot.com/2021/08/a-case-for-colli-tortonesi-timorasso-as.html">Timorasso</a> variety have historically been the preserve of "<a href="https://mowse.blogspot.com/2021/05/early-modern-history-of-colli.html">traditional" Colli Tortonesi</a> producers but, as the potential of the variety has become more apparent, "non-local" producers have jumped into the fray.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKyzWax02rdBImpzoMGhLwGLFFIR7jh_pn_qNsnGmL08suBCZd03oCDAXNIJvv5RljXTboj-lVpvJh58IjcxNQIwRW9mZtl53_MNylkzikbykm_9ZZr6TSdjCcBxVarOzZSt9K51UzxFi1xJu6QtYaIcXPXWwXeYRRcybzPLBgc4gYful1Fm0zgk3Q7UI/s1515/IMG_8129.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1515" data-original-width="1290" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKyzWax02rdBImpzoMGhLwGLFFIR7jh_pn_qNsnGmL08suBCZd03oCDAXNIJvv5RljXTboj-lVpvJh58IjcxNQIwRW9mZtl53_MNylkzikbykm_9ZZr6TSdjCcBxVarOzZSt9K51UzxFi1xJu6QtYaIcXPXWwXeYRRcybzPLBgc4gYful1Fm0zgk3Q7UI/s320/IMG_8129.jpeg" width="272" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>One such entrant is Il Poggio di Gavi, a winery located in the heart of <a href="https://mowse.blogspot.com/2020/07/the-white-wines-of-piemonte-gavi-docg.html">Gavi DOCG</a>. I report on this estate, and its Timorasso wine, herein.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Rovereto-Hills property encompassing Il Poggio di Gavi was initially purchased by the father of Franca Odone in 1919 as a family hunting lodge. The lodge was eventually passed on to Franca who cleared the land to plant vineyards. She began making wine from those grapes in 1976. In 2003 she passed the control of the estate on to her daughter Francesca.</div><div><br /></div><div>The estate makes a number of sparkling, white, and red wines from grapes grown on the 3-ha Gavi estate but it is the Colli Tortonesi offering that is of interest for this post.</div><div><br /></div><div>The estate owns a 2-ha plot in Colli Tortonesi's <a href="https://mowse.blogspot.com/2021/06/colli-tortonesi-docs-terre-di-libarna.html">Val Borbera</a>, a zone characterized by:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Elevations ranging between 400 and 600 m</li><li>The highest-altitude vineyards in Colli Tortonesi</li><li>Significant diurnal temperature variation.</li><li>Marly clay and silty marl soils (Lower Oligocene origins).</li></ul></div><div>The Il Poggio plot, dedicated to Timorasso, resides on calcareous clay soils at elevations ranging between 500 and 750 m. The 20-year-old vines have south and southeast exposures.</div><div><br /></div><div>The first wine from this vineyard was produced from grapes harvested in 2018. The grapes are hand-harvetsed in small crates for transport to the cellar where they are vinified in stainless steel tanks using indigenous yeasts. The wines are aged in steel tanks. The first vintage yielded 83 cases.</div><div><br /></div><div>I recently tasted the 2019 edition of this wine.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRalGPB_ibb52QkRxUpSmj3D66CpLJGvFmWPjnhYzTD9HeyJii7P93Ys8kdohovp1GXT_wlT941Nv86CO932QelGQNZeYzGbikbkFkJZmOxIHuZ0JJRJdpIF8EH7wgwrkRAl3uLQ7DsGvCPcceNJEDPKWqezsCDNiC4wdrAojFAdvO-nJYshnZUWAsJzY/s2048/29F13BA6-F7DA-4955-B1F2-E6A5BD2BCEE8.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRalGPB_ibb52QkRxUpSmj3D66CpLJGvFmWPjnhYzTD9HeyJii7P93Ys8kdohovp1GXT_wlT941Nv86CO932QelGQNZeYzGbikbkFkJZmOxIHuZ0JJRJdpIF8EH7wgwrkRAl3uLQ7DsGvCPcceNJEDPKWqezsCDNiC4wdrAojFAdvO-nJYshnZUWAsJzY/s320/29F13BA6-F7DA-4955-B1F2-E6A5BD2BCEE8.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>Like most of the Timorasso wines from Gavi producers that I have tasted, this wine was approachable up front. It had a Timorasso-specific, aromatic nose with notes of honeyed wax, sage, pepper spice, sweet white fruit, green and dried herbs, and a marine character. A complex, layered nose.</div><div><br /></div><div>Weighty on the palate with lime skin, lime-infused salinity, chalky minerality, and coal. Chalky minerality becomes prevalent with the passage of time. A lengthy finish. </div><div><br /></div><div>Retains the complexity on the nose but more linear on the palate over time. Unlike the best Timorasso wines, the palate does not transit well to the following day.</div><div><br /></div>©Wine -- <i>Mise en abyme</i>wineORLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06163150468541915038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080161909822087430.post-91846270277786868312023-10-22T21:22:00.002-04:002023-10-22T21:22:22.570-04:00Is Bornova Misketi (Muscat of Bornova), the Muscat cultivar from Izmir, Turkey, the oldest variety in the world?<div>I am in the early phases of a journey exploring the worldwide deployment of the Muscat cultivar so I was excited when a reader of <a href="https://mowse.blogspot.com/2023/10/the-muscat-of-spina-wine-of-crete-greece.html">my post on Muscat of Spina</a> pointed me to a Muscat from the Izmir region of Turkey. This was an exciting lead in that it would allow me to explore very close to the site where Muscat first <a href="https://mowse.blogspot.com/2023/07/grapevine-diversification-in-europe.html">broke from the initial domesticated cultivar</a> approximately 10,000 years ago.</div><div><br /></div><div>The name of this Turkish cultivar is Bornova Misketi (Muscat of Bornova), said nomenclature deriving from its village of origin in the Izmir province of the Aegean region. The grape is now primarily grown in the neighboring province of Manisa.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBrrT_zwaY9TDZDd_DySQQ85N6kMEh64uJMQ9_5gtqldnGwOLVgkYpZbXT10qvQUOwzTLtvy5cWOEJKUG_C0KlUD6OJ7qAMWi5nrTrbsIVicgEv2-I-gVq0J2xULn0HdNm5yhtN4-qPcXltg7Ymb9ABNj_RqRwYkSUDI-m6kLq01EK6lWGR9TzWUmAT6k/s784/Screen%20Shot%202023-10-22%20at%206.10.30%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="784" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBrrT_zwaY9TDZDd_DySQQ85N6kMEh64uJMQ9_5gtqldnGwOLVgkYpZbXT10qvQUOwzTLtvy5cWOEJKUG_C0KlUD6OJ7qAMWi5nrTrbsIVicgEv2-I-gVq0J2xULn0HdNm5yhtN4-qPcXltg7Ymb9ABNj_RqRwYkSUDI-m6kLq01EK6lWGR9TzWUmAT6k/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-10-22%20at%206.10.30%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source; winesofturkey.com</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Bornova Misketi is reputed to be the oldest known variety in the world and was mentioned in the 5th-century BC writings of Herodotus.</div><div><br /></div><div>The growing region in Izmir is blessed with a Mediterranean climate and sandy-loamy soils. The Manisa area has similar soils but sits in a transition zone between the Mediterranean and continental climates and at a much higher altitude.</div><div><br /></div><div>The soils in Izmir have higher levels of potassium, iron, copper and lime than is the case for Manisa. According to Kareoglau and Cabaroglu (A comparison of the volatile and phenolic compositions of Muscat of Bornova wines from two different terroirs in the Aegean region of Turkey, Food Sci. Technol 40(4), Oct-Dec 2020), higher levels of metal ions can influence the rate of enzymatic browning. Further, lime-rich soils tend to produce quality wines with "better aroma intensity, color, and body."</div><div><br /></div><div>The characteristics of the Bornova Misketi cultivar are illustrated in the chart below.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuZspXX51r4rhOtsm6O8-KBD6Qij6BfUiHtZWKLbUUQ0-tQvkr_sszoS-5ftt-Frlke_HY_c380553h9dcW-TkdHFauh7lC7AgeZ7XyjliNHSy0g75_UBiDa4VqhAUrgPbSngSPO7cM9eSFktsSiwn1qfwNgKAj1KljQIgKcDHNCbqWtD5y-qe2Muu9KU/s958/Screen%20Shot%202023-10-22%20at%209.11.32%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="557" data-original-width="958" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuZspXX51r4rhOtsm6O8-KBD6Qij6BfUiHtZWKLbUUQ0-tQvkr_sszoS-5ftt-Frlke_HY_c380553h9dcW-TkdHFauh7lC7AgeZ7XyjliNHSy0g75_UBiDa4VqhAUrgPbSngSPO7cM9eSFktsSiwn1qfwNgKAj1KljQIgKcDHNCbqWtD5y-qe2Muu9KU/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-10-22%20at%209.11.32%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>The aroma compounds responsible for the characteristic muscat flavor are monoterpenic compounds mainly derived from the grape berry. These aromas result from the presence of threshold levels of terpenes (linalool, geraniol, nerol, citronellol, <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 19px;">α-</span>terpinool) and norisprenoids. Terpenes is the most important group of volatile compounds in Muscat varieties with linalool the most abundant compound.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Kareoglau and Cabaroglu study showed that both the Linalool and Geraniol terpenes had values significantly greater than the threshold levels of typical Muscat wines. For example, the threshold level for geraniol is 30 <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 19px;">μ</span>g/L while levels in Bornova Misketi is 50 <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 19px;">μ</span>g/L. </div><div><br /></div><div>The purpose of the study, though, was to determine whether Bornova Miskiti was subject to terroir or vintage effects. Wines from the Izmir and Manisa terroirs were studied over two harvest periods and the following findings were reported:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The terroir effects on the concentrations of all terpene compounds was found to be significant (except for the (E)-pyran linalool oxide and geranic acid concentrations)</li><li>The effect of vintage on all terpene compounds was also found ot be significant.</li></ul></div><div>Dry, semi-dry and fully sweet wines are made from the variety. These wines can be drunk alone as aperitifs as well as pairing extremely well with fruits and vegetables, seafood and white meats, and dishes featuring a variety of spices and savory condiments.</div><div><br /></div><div>Getting back to the question posed in the title, we know, based on the work of Dong, <i>et al</i>., that Bornovo Misketi is not the oldest variety in the world. That honor is reserved to the <a href="https://mowse.blogspot.com/2023/05/domestication-drivers-in-first.html">CG1 and CG2 cultivars</a> domesticated in the Caucasus and Western Asia Domestication Centers approximately 11,000 years ago. It is a descendant, however, of the Muscat variety that split form the main line 10,500 years ago. The question remains as to how direct is the linkage.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>©Wine -- <i>Mise en abyme</i>wineORLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06163150468541915038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080161909822087430.post-56595752086979393132023-10-18T06:27:00.000-04:002023-10-18T06:27:49.041-04:00The Liatiko variety from Crete, Greece: Terroir, wines, and experiences<div>In my Pandemic-era <a href="https://mowse.blogspot.com/2020/04/greek-wines-santorini-and-beyond.html">InstaLive Chat with Yiannis Karakasis MW</a>, he asserted that "Greek wine cannot become mainstream if we cannot expand the discussion beyond Santorini to other terroirs, other varieties." One of the candidate terroirs that he identified was Crete for the Vidiano (for whites) and Liatiko (for reds) varieties. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmXGYoFaLt6-kDcxWxQoLfZqnu7RfseFZlZnHjXga9Q4uUddtdrgWJEHsqANrrYzshG4NTbX7gfYwRLNdCiiNF97QBzJhUfx8tvGrjMMph_yR_5DpPZaW-ghMpsGaRKE85ZqOLX8f68dcH8MgNq2ouG0iPajB2X5UPIYcWx-wDyUpqJqr0bC3ip9xAOVc/s805/Screen%20Shot%202023-10-17%20at%204.53.19%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="805" data-original-width="416" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmXGYoFaLt6-kDcxWxQoLfZqnu7RfseFZlZnHjXga9Q4uUddtdrgWJEHsqANrrYzshG4NTbX7gfYwRLNdCiiNF97QBzJhUfx8tvGrjMMph_yR_5DpPZaW-ghMpsGaRKE85ZqOLX8f68dcH8MgNq2ouG0iPajB2X5UPIYcWx-wDyUpqJqr0bC3ip9xAOVc/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-10-17%20at%204.53.19%20PM.png" width="165" /></a></div><br /><div>I describe the Liatiko variety, and its terroirs, herein.</div><div><br /></div><div>According to winesofgreece.org, the Liatiko variety -- which dates back to 3rd or 2nd Century BC -- can produce very fine dry red wines but "reaches its apogee in its sweet versions." The berries are thin-skinned and produce wines with low-color intensity, low acidity, and high levels of tannin.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivCqxl9o-wM2NpTuI_SV6sO5-zvoeJz-wx09sVlKoFZPbyXcOFn9OcB2ZTU-DCVh7x21A2yI5ElXRfg80HAY_-S_eV1GyNbGg8mwHRo1LsfwN-aXeQ3AcbyWxYADvWm8FR3aVrRdhK5BV2pcUNrTxYnpOjtK6I_0JLnb5BDeO_XJcmJwhLq5HCByQuBvE/s1100/liatiko-1100x460.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1100" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivCqxl9o-wM2NpTuI_SV6sO5-zvoeJz-wx09sVlKoFZPbyXcOFn9OcB2ZTU-DCVh7x21A2yI5ElXRfg80HAY_-S_eV1GyNbGg8mwHRo1LsfwN-aXeQ3AcbyWxYADvWm8FR3aVrRdhK5BV2pcUNrTxYnpOjtK6I_0JLnb5BDeO_XJcmJwhLq5HCByQuBvE/s320/liatiko-1100x460.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liatiko (Source: winesofgreece.org)</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>A total of 400 ha of Liatiko are planted across the island, primarily on the slopes of the southern and eastern coastlines. The variety is resistant to drought and hot weather and prefers soils rich in clay, lime, and sand. While planted across the island, the best wines are found in Heraklion (PDO Dafnes) and Lasithi (PDO Sithia). The chart below illustrates the terroirs associated with Liatiko.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr0vHzNKBHiJ4fCN1Rb0HrUCg-uigzwkMt2wBZSwcrenUeJo_JsYhB0Ekc94_F3-qJ14l35XiOuAQAlSdk8_k3fj2VmJ52z1bfNd3QUDAgL79xWZootPvC7-E-cVAHpAXR-q8afAytUYbCj2Rj3jvB2TXuRKCT-IBlge9WT3sMuDvSxtwkZKLKIdHaEl8/s1906/fullsizeoutput_172.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="993" data-original-width="1906" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr0vHzNKBHiJ4fCN1Rb0HrUCg-uigzwkMt2wBZSwcrenUeJo_JsYhB0Ekc94_F3-qJ14l35XiOuAQAlSdk8_k3fj2VmJ52z1bfNd3QUDAgL79xWZootPvC7-E-cVAHpAXR-q8afAytUYbCj2Rj3jvB2TXuRKCT-IBlge9WT3sMuDvSxtwkZKLKIdHaEl8/s320/fullsizeoutput_172.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><b>Liatiko Wines</b></div><div>As previously indicated, Liatiko is utilized in the production of both dry and sweet wines. The dry wines are "intense, with rich, ripe red fruit and sweet spices" on the nose and high levels of alcohol and low levels of soft tannins on the palate. The sweet wines are even more intense with concentrated candied fruit notes and a rich, dense palate and higher levels of acidity. Long barrel aging is a must, with the dry wines requiring at least 5 years. While most red sweet wines are fortified with alcohol during the fermentation, Liatiko sweet wines are made with sun-dried grapes.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Crete wines with Liatiko content are illustrated in the chart below.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFFxdGQaxHZMopTVuP_W-bljfQQtqbnKrhInuXt1hjO6qTrAY6_JQtSgxC7WcVIOONegQNDoiN-y4F7SvjcGgqCo5POhY4huh-OT97yy_2VPAMMXT3N9po0LR7j3SK-Pnyu4kxCRNND2d9EvSqy15aVcelPWTSwuriAD14VG6X_qFgrWfDTXUy-aZ9uqQ/s1538/fullsizeoutput_173.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="767" data-original-width="1538" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFFxdGQaxHZMopTVuP_W-bljfQQtqbnKrhInuXt1hjO6qTrAY6_JQtSgxC7WcVIOONegQNDoiN-y4F7SvjcGgqCo5POhY4huh-OT97yy_2VPAMMXT3N9po0LR7j3SK-Pnyu4kxCRNND2d9EvSqy15aVcelPWTSwuriAD14VG6X_qFgrWfDTXUy-aZ9uqQ/s320/fullsizeoutput_173.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Liatiko Experiences</b></div><div>I have tasted a few Liatiko wines, all, with one exception, being from the Sitia producer Economou. I recount those experiences in the following.</div><div><br /></div><div><u>Fredrick Wildman and Son NYC Greek Wine Portfolio Launch</u></div><div>My <a href="https://mowse.blogspot.com/2012/02/inside-fredrick-wildman-and-sons-new.html">earliest encounter with</a> the Liatiko grape was in February of 2012 when Markus Stolz (@elloinos) brought a number of Greek producers and wines to New York City to launch the Fredrick Wildman and Sons Greek Wine portfolio. One of the winemakers who accompanied Markus was Yiannis Economou of Domaine Economou and he brought two Sitia VQPRD wines along with him, one 80% Liatiko and 20% Mandilaria, the other 100% Liatiko.</div><div><br /></div><div>I was particularly impressed with the story and storied wines of Domaine Economou. I had extended conversations with Yiannis and he was highly enthusiastic about his product as well as the opportunity that being a part of this launch provided. He particularly impressed me with his dedication to his principles of production and the aging of his wines; his wines reflect those principles. </div><div><br /></div><div>The figure below provides some background on the estate and its operating environment.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNGD0ZR7OCqBjE-4f9kZ805YlyqmLwai9l1mnCrkSH7nmiumRDjqL2HbgUn6GWaM3U58De7DaVzZoFOt1Nm3g7LR3w9foUujmvJQTsNWTZlwpyKPZtLl7qaZ1yclk2sk1JuT5TbecXTNIR/s1600/creteecono.017.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNGD0ZR7OCqBjE-4f9kZ805YlyqmLwai9l1mnCrkSH7nmiumRDjqL2HbgUn6GWaM3U58De7DaVzZoFOt1Nm3g7LR3w9foUujmvJQTsNWTZlwpyKPZtLl7qaZ1yclk2sk1JuT5TbecXTNIR/s320/creteecono.017.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u>Fourth Anniversary Winelovers Reunion in Athens</u></div><div>I encountered the Economou wine again when I was in Athens for the 4th Anniversary Winelovers Reunion in February 2016. The 2006 was served as a part of a dinner we were having at Vintage Wine Bar and Bistro but the owner, Panos Kyriazis, mentioned to me that the recently released 1999 was even better. That sounded like a dare so I bit and purchased a bottle. It was good. So good that I went back the following evening in order to taste this wine again. Once I got back to the US, I sought out the wine and stocked both the 2006 and the 1999 in my cellar.<br /><br /></div><div><u>Greek Wine Tasting in Orlando, FL</u></div><div>This tasting featured flights of Greek wines from different regions and producers. I solicited feedback from participants and used their voices to report on the tasting. The panelists utilized thusly were:<br /><ul><li>John Siudut, Proprietor, Vintage Vino</li><li>Andres Montoya, Proprietor, The Wine Barn</li><li>Jill Kathyrn Davis, Former Head Sommelier Capa Grill at the Four Seasons and Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse</li><li>Ron Siegel, Collector</li><li>Juan Valencia, Assistant General Manager and Sommelier, Norman's at the Ritz Grande Lakes.</li></ul>The 1999 and 2006 vintages were tasted for the Economou flight. The panelists shared my view that this producer is doing an excellent job and that the 1999 vintage was the better of the two.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWxqRZ068zSwg7-mmwE4D9Gbn51xP1pnrYjqQqv6CftZvyyRReMiD4RZ2-FnJDlITtFbhNHxQNjs5kygI1J5Qsq2nhAtE35H88oTSXn7tnscMa-X_vTq5aPBT865K8lfd7fDjlede2VXjS/s1600/IMG_0151.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWxqRZ068zSwg7-mmwE4D9Gbn51xP1pnrYjqQqv6CftZvyyRReMiD4RZ2-FnJDlITtFbhNHxQNjs5kygI1J5Qsq2nhAtE35H88oTSXn7tnscMa-X_vTq5aPBT865K8lfd7fDjlede2VXjS/s320/IMG_0151.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><span class="s1">John thought that this flight was surprising considering the release dates of the wines. He really enjoyed the brooding power of the 2006 and the distinct power and structure of the 1999 which matured in the glass and was the better wine. </span>These wines reminded Jill of Valpolicella in that they had a raisinated note with high acid.<br /><br />Juan found the 2006 to be slightly oxidative and raisinated up front. Sweet and sour cherries appeared on the palate shortly thereafter. Supple tannins. Andres saw this wine as having "warm scents of garrigue, smoke, tar, and rose petal," the latter of which could be associated with Nebbiolo from warmer sites. "In the mouth it shows lead pencil, smoked plum, anise and currants, which make it seem closer to Cabernet on the finish."<br /><br /><div class="p1"><span class="s1">The Economou 1999, according to Andres, had a beautiful nose of violets, grilled herbs, and red plum (it reminded him of Nerello Mascalese), shows high acidity, and finishes with intensity. This vintage is showing very well. Juan: "W</span>ow. Muscular for its age. Very well structured in terms of acid, and tannin. Fruit was dried and fresh simultaneously."</div></div><div><br /></div><div><u>Swirlery Wine Bar</u></div><div>Earlier this month I went to a local watering hole named Swirlery and after drinking some Champagne, asked the owner Melissa, to find me something interesting to drink. She pulled out a bottle of the 2004 vintage of the Economou. I lit up. I tasted it and remembered why I loved this wine so much. I offered to buy everything that she had but, alas, I had.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtiE8G4G3iZKEUOtxq-jlVjpF3U_vqAWLaByQm8l7HMMMdglxpUX6n1F7jYay_1MHysTVYdVDhmnXXhytZC6142pcsTSwIBhoFJbdBtjIwp_HGmN_jQmKCfdxe4427R6lJwM-NlxbvhFNvAiSy5RUVRZmsOSQ9D2hMd7LLpVXBsbLq6NOLUWrtdShRiQM/s1245/IMG_5066.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1245" data-original-width="642" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtiE8G4G3iZKEUOtxq-jlVjpF3U_vqAWLaByQm8l7HMMMdglxpUX6n1F7jYay_1MHysTVYdVDhmnXXhytZC6142pcsTSwIBhoFJbdBtjIwp_HGmN_jQmKCfdxe4427R6lJwM-NlxbvhFNvAiSy5RUVRZmsOSQ9D2hMd7LLpVXBsbLq6NOLUWrtdShRiQM/s320/IMG_5066.jpeg" width="165" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><u>K Restaurant Greek Wine Dinner</u></div><div>The third course was a Grilled Swordfish and Octopus dish accompanied by the <b>2015 Douloufakis Liatiko</b>. The Douloufakis Liatiko showed tar, dark olives, and blue fruit on the nose. Light-bodied. Dark and red fruits. Savory. Mineral. Drying finish. Does not engage the full palate. It will benefit from some aging.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7UTDZetEJ0PtUDSjSLdnUIuEo5i7QNqb9hZD5JuTz4qfB_UAOlcCEfRAUYbzo0B4Oi1h6C4xS9kvoEZ4CUZhpJiHYEw59B3cUvgHb4uXs-bRsirHv6JZQs_BYhz4v_KMxqRQNC5HkFjE/s1600/IMG_5501.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7UTDZetEJ0PtUDSjSLdnUIuEo5i7QNqb9hZD5JuTz4qfB_UAOlcCEfRAUYbzo0B4Oi1h6C4xS9kvoEZ4CUZhpJiHYEw59B3cUvgHb4uXs-bRsirHv6JZQs_BYhz4v_KMxqRQNC5HkFjE/s320/IMG_5501.JPG" width="320" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>*********************************************************************************************************</div><div>In <a href="https://mowse.blogspot.com/2020/04/greek-wines-santorini-and-beyond_19.html">Part 2 of my Chat with Yiannis Karakasis</a>, we discussed varieties and terroirs beyond Santorini. Yiannis identified four varieties that he saw as being capable of producing world-class wines: Agiorgitiko (within two to three years), Robolo, Mavrodaphne, and Liatiko. Liatiko, he said, can produce high-quality wines and you need to look no further than the wines of Economou for proof of that assertion.</div><div><br /></div><div>Keep the wines from Liatiko on your radar then, and snap up the ones from Economou -- if you can find them. According to Joyce Ghosn, one of my Facebook compatriots, responding to one of my posts on this producer and wine: "(In) 2019, prior to the masses discovering this now legendary Cretan winery, this wine retailed for a mere 20 euros. Stocks were removed from the market by their exclusive distributor and a few bottles were put back a few months later, retailing then at 50. Lucky were the people who could put their hands on this vintage then, let alone now. Today it has become the benchmark for all Liatiko originating fgrom Crete and is the reason people have started comparing this variety to Burgundy Pinot Noir." </div><div><br /></div><div>In that same comment chain Ian Cauble MS, co-founder of SommSelect and one of the stars of the original Somm, described the Economous as "Incredible wines" while Rico Thompson of Rick Thompson Wine commented that the estate was "crafting some very peculiar, long-aged wines."</div><div><br /></div><div>Happy hunting.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>©Wine -- <i>Mise en abyme</i>wineORLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06163150468541915038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080161909822087430.post-9000525498820899032023-10-15T11:06:00.002-04:002023-10-15T11:11:41.811-04:00The Muscat (of Spina) wine of Crete, Greece<div><div>The Muscat grape is one of the oldest and most widespread grape families in the world, splitting, as it did, from the main branch of <i>vitis vinifera</i> s<a href="https://mowse.blogspot.com/2023/07/grapevine-diversification-in-europe.html">ome 10,500 years ago</a>. The, predominantly, white wine has a pronounced aromatic quality due to the higher-than-average presence of aroma compounds in the berry. The most planted of the over 200 cultivars in the family are Muscat Blanc á Petits Grains and Muscat of Alexandria and my survey of these cultivars began with a review of the former, as implemented in <a href="https://mowse.blogspot.com/2020/07/asti-docg-key-aspects-of-appellation.html">the wines of Asti DOCG</a>, and continued with the <a href="https://mowse.blogspot.com/2023/07/the-muscat-wines-of-samos-greece.html">Muscat wines of Samos, Greece</a>. In this post I continue the survey with a review of the Muscat of Spina wines of Crete, Greece.</div><div><br /></div></div><div><b>History of Crete and Cretan Wines</b></div><div>As shown in the map below, Crete is the southernmost of the Greek islands. The island's wine history</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXURHYPPJkBJ4GB5YZlZw_ygd3MzJkuAZlUqzF5o2fya6W1FMiFFmYnb68LNmSZvraNDZNJDg_O1clxYHtfoaKBYoVU7-raX4ga1skicA33S7ATi4qRE2p8XlNXW8_V4KUSj5CQlTJctLOKoNUieyhtIDcFnM5GzlXEjvaOLMk7QW_F9pWO8YVeCqxtN4/s2666/map%20of%20greece.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="2666" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXURHYPPJkBJ4GB5YZlZw_ygd3MzJkuAZlUqzF5o2fya6W1FMiFFmYnb68LNmSZvraNDZNJDg_O1clxYHtfoaKBYoVU7-raX4ga1skicA33S7ATi4qRE2p8XlNXW8_V4KUSj5CQlTJctLOKoNUieyhtIDcFnM5GzlXEjvaOLMk7QW_F9pWO8YVeCqxtN4/s320/map%20of%20greece.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: tripsavvy.com</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>stretches back to the Minoan Period and has, except for the Ottoman period, been a story of successful, high-quality wine.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrDT7VZUN_H2gpi6GexXjacXMOkDb5MZB7IBrX9ld7C4ubXgbJKHLJ1dUuKkfBwwvhiJudjCOmPEFassqfpTwCOJbgAFY5IHb6BDpxaRFgHFm7m70WW3E1ZnGeofB67iMHPvfO97sNvIo7Sut-9y2k_Quo8rpA8_TEzNqX1qcANMltZaj-Gsp5jTa6Xyg/s1920/fullsizeoutput_170.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="1920" height="88" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrDT7VZUN_H2gpi6GexXjacXMOkDb5MZB7IBrX9ld7C4ubXgbJKHLJ1dUuKkfBwwvhiJudjCOmPEFassqfpTwCOJbgAFY5IHb6BDpxaRFgHFm7m70WW3E1ZnGeofB67iMHPvfO97sNvIo7Sut-9y2k_Quo8rpA8_TEzNqX1qcANMltZaj-Gsp5jTa6Xyg/s320/fullsizeoutput_170.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZiQe6yW2UqBQ1wlfjvC1Tmz_Nnnt-JRukqwPMz6_Ua69aqMgF9QGyHGgKlFP433aimtkgB5Ild26jQaqItLiNfsQK3GN5M30XikMxaTELHOF4to2jLN2eCZPKVegwpWrqvPEbdrVY3dVf9fjnxqIDUI2urq8U_uGV-qSl_xWF3wby2yRYXeJw7HLT-iU/s586/Modern%20crete%20wine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="421" data-original-width="586" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZiQe6yW2UqBQ1wlfjvC1Tmz_Nnnt-JRukqwPMz6_Ua69aqMgF9QGyHGgKlFP433aimtkgB5Ild26jQaqItLiNfsQK3GN5M30XikMxaTELHOF4to2jLN2eCZPKVegwpWrqvPEbdrVY3dVf9fjnxqIDUI2urq8U_uGV-qSl_xWF3wby2yRYXeJw7HLT-iU/s320/Modern%20crete%20wine.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><b>Selected Aspects of Cretan Wine Growing Environment</b></div><div>The physical and legal environments underpinning selected aspects of the Cretan wine industry are presented in the chart below. The chart highlights the areas of relevance to Muscat of Spina (which I am covering in this post) and the Liatiko variety (which I will be covering in a subsequent post).</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL3ZpAtZhAbZPUsvAsyWVrhda4GyMXTnl_rvF6Q68AfVq1zdAZLsGvQwaNvWpQVMkqFKoKZ02VkWFJiCYfUB3aYZAtN7waQhNJp2zz0dgKcS_7IKUjpqgYX9ybak3DT0r-AXUTbrML0gB6La4Qgul-iYSzWiXe_YvzqLDm5Mn3_PorrlQ9O-MnuOe8hsk/s1920/fullsizeoutput_171.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="996" data-original-width="1920" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL3ZpAtZhAbZPUsvAsyWVrhda4GyMXTnl_rvF6Q68AfVq1zdAZLsGvQwaNvWpQVMkqFKoKZ02VkWFJiCYfUB3aYZAtN7waQhNJp2zz0dgKcS_7IKUjpqgYX9ybak3DT0r-AXUTbrML0gB6La4Qgul-iYSzWiXe_YvzqLDm5Mn3_PorrlQ9O-MnuOe8hsk/s320/fullsizeoutput_171.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Muscat of Spina</b></div><div>According to the literature, Muscat of Spina was another of the forgotten greek varieties (see, <a href="https://mowse.blogspot.com/2016/03/the-malagouzia-story-and-selected-picks.html">Malagouzia</a>, for example) until the brothers Strataridakis (Manolo and Kostis) came along and gave it "the opportunity it needed." Today the variety is well ensconced in Cretan vineyards, the source of single-variety wines that "have earned their place on the top of white aromatic Greek wines."</div><div><br /></div><div>Moschato Spinas (local terminology) originates from the province of Spina in the prefecture of Chania. The variety is a clone of Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains, differing mainly in berry-skin thickness. It is the only allowed Muscat on Crete. The primary growing areas for the variety today is in Central Crete in the villages of Maza and Spina and the Heraklion region.</div><div><br /></div><div>The primary characteristics of the variety are detailed in the chart below.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuqHpNtxk922xNMvBcHJ7PTvhCLO5WpV5j1jnfRlFu-bx5jQUtL1gtpmtoyle9fBKWpH0sAluPQf-1I8WIXV-eNsZJCZ7IyO3irQlzfgfVokiUqDaOonF2fb-IkNjE_1amsCZtVk68Gont_r9IAioTTUz-kwkplUzgvgvWzf-2ork3UWWp5WwJJ35tBVM/s1138/fullsizeoutput_16f.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="625" data-original-width="1138" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuqHpNtxk922xNMvBcHJ7PTvhCLO5WpV5j1jnfRlFu-bx5jQUtL1gtpmtoyle9fBKWpH0sAluPQf-1I8WIXV-eNsZJCZ7IyO3irQlzfgfVokiUqDaOonF2fb-IkNjE_1amsCZtVk68Gont_r9IAioTTUz-kwkplUzgvgvWzf-2ork3UWWp5WwJJ35tBVM/s320/fullsizeoutput_16f.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>Wines from this variety are characterized as the most flavorful of the wines on the Island with intense fruity and floral aromas of orange peel, lime, lemon blossom and rose petals. Muscat of Spina wines are primarily used as the minor partner in PDO blends (PDO Malvasia Handakis - Candia, PDO Malvasia Sitia) but play a much bigger role in the PGI sphere.</div><div><br /></div>©Wine -- <i>Mise en abyme</i>wineORLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06163150468541915038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080161909822087430.post-28592415245431933162023-10-02T12:00:00.000-04:002023-10-02T12:00:05.411-04:00Revisiting the Chianti Classico UGAs<div><div><div>I have <a href="https://mowse.blogspot.com/2022/11/contextualizing-newly-minted-chianti.html">previously treated</a> the Chianti Classico zonation initiative, based largely on reporting from Decanter. I revist and expand on that effort based on recent work on the topic by John Szabo MS in his vehicle, Wine Align.</div><div><br /></div><div>According to John Szabo, the Chianti Classico zonation effort is a continuation of the quality pursuit launched by the Consorzio when it introduced Gran Selezione as a quality level above Riserva. The purpose of that initiative was twofold:</div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Distinguish some of the highest quality wines from the denomination</li><li>Claim a secure spot in the luxury-wine tier.</li></ol></div><div>That effort can only be viewed as a success:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li> 154 wineries now make at least one Gran Selezione wine</li><li>That class accounts for 5% of the region's production but 13% of its revenue, a clear testament to market acceptance of the value proposition</li></ul></div><div>The zonation process is illustrated below. </div><div><br /></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVwN8CBzzvUyu_V01-w4wZp7_X85YGRfY-JP7Ohm3e6wpYfPGtnPKAe0yHemVePUPdyfYSDqoH4Sw9V2l6VkSaAgBANvHWLDX4EkPVgxq6Vb63deC4RE5hXEQbjPg6QN_JSuoN0RSoEml3AU0nIJ_-iwQl_wl-nw-8Khup8E3oQa3PU9_lYDK3hjfd4Dg/s1920/ccugazonation.001.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVwN8CBzzvUyu_V01-w4wZp7_X85YGRfY-JP7Ohm3e6wpYfPGtnPKAe0yHemVePUPdyfYSDqoH4Sw9V2l6VkSaAgBANvHWLDX4EkPVgxq6Vb63deC4RE5hXEQbjPg6QN_JSuoN0RSoEml3AU0nIJ_-iwQl_wl-nw-8Khup8E3oQa3PU9_lYDK3hjfd4Dg/s320/ccugazonation.001.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>Chianti Classico declined to pursue UGAs based on soils and topography because of the geologic complexity of the area. As shown in the chart below, the region possesses a diversity of soils: marl (San Casciano Val di Pesa); calcareous clay (Greve and all zones at lower altitudes); sandstone (backbone of Chianti Mountains); limestone (central and southern portions of the district); and tufa (around Castelnuevo Berardenga). When limestone and sandstone are found in alternating layers, that soil is called Galestro. Clay-limestone mixes are called Alberese. According to Berry Bros & Rudd, "The sandy alluvial soils of the lower sites yield fuller, meatier wines while the limestone and galestro soils of the higher vineyards deliver finer, more ethereal examples" (bbr.com).</div><div><div><br /></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB3zf-i9Vytpt0URTW8g31Ey38R1kV5YcxtwIpdSYILg_zuJge8Tt524IQ6EviKjICx3nTHQQWZwSM3cfFPZ--bwuRcRqzFF3v4z8UTS8X-mH69H-BShpQXtqYzIO8NMpJLf5sgLiFDaftTApNMYN5Q7ZAtBgDCmkM8gEN9-kKzgrZgSzcE6QnYe6L/s1920/Chianti%20Classico%20Landscapes.001.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB3zf-i9Vytpt0URTW8g31Ey38R1kV5YcxtwIpdSYILg_zuJge8Tt524IQ6EviKjICx3nTHQQWZwSM3cfFPZ--bwuRcRqzFF3v4z8UTS8X-mH69H-BShpQXtqYzIO8NMpJLf5sgLiFDaftTApNMYN5Q7ZAtBgDCmkM8gEN9-kKzgrZgSzcE6QnYe6L/s320/Chianti%20Classico%20Landscapes.001.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><div>"The UGA areas are thus not mapped out exclusively according to geology or elevation or microclimate, even if these elements are of course taken into consideration. But the real boundaries were drawn up along cultural and historical lines, refining areas of broadly shared historical heritage and winemaking philosophy." Eleven areas were specified with eight going into effect immediately and three slated to be implemented subsequently. The initial specification only includes the Gran Selezione category. </div></div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUo1RY-4oI7NeZSLwbkdZuQuM4ur-7bzcPCXJGt3to6VFZM1CJPJW9n1O-9swfRook0d70y31nPSBu0SpkR9SJipaL6ZKCc4b3HfZtf_2X9-kfyoCekZ5NxiNF8neCzzoVIO8B4HyamfCJumoo911oVUA9U_Ojpb993mpjazuyf9eLuAbkviVG1Y3sMDE/s1737/fullsizeoutput_16a.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1737" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUo1RY-4oI7NeZSLwbkdZuQuM4ur-7bzcPCXJGt3to6VFZM1CJPJW9n1O-9swfRook0d70y31nPSBu0SpkR9SJipaL6ZKCc4b3HfZtf_2X9-kfyoCekZ5NxiNF8neCzzoVIO8B4HyamfCJumoo911oVUA9U_Ojpb993mpjazuyf9eLuAbkviVG1Y3sMDE/s320/fullsizeoutput_16a.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuJXg12qZRPPgZPBTtTRTYs-mGsCMfnz_IXR4YVDw8uvuyu6mzQqFUwmXq8p4trIfhF9qUoAua6ZnGSmSCEtpHE5Dt_QFTxPqsv1JOqxGFrT5m1xPf61nup6GbbaJsdSHaprdVS3ejOw2vmaf4pYu3vZw7_BhDm1KmhthNDKBiudnGBDGgIXEUPAC9O9g/s1339/fullsizeoutput_16b.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="980" data-original-width="1339" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuJXg12qZRPPgZPBTtTRTYs-mGsCMfnz_IXR4YVDw8uvuyu6mzQqFUwmXq8p4trIfhF9qUoAua6ZnGSmSCEtpHE5Dt_QFTxPqsv1JOqxGFrT5m1xPf61nup6GbbaJsdSHaprdVS3ejOw2vmaf4pYu3vZw7_BhDm1KmhthNDKBiudnGBDGgIXEUPAC9O9g/s320/fullsizeoutput_16b.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>The charts above contain much greater detail than previously reported on the geologic characteristics of the UGAs as well as the characteristics of the wines emanating therefrom.</div><div><br /></div><div>As regards the UGA wines, a producer can place the name of the UGA on the label if the grapes are sourced exclusively from within the UGA. This requirement will be applied retroactively to include wines from the 2022 vintage.</div><div><br /></div><div>Beginning with the 2027 vintage, UGA wines will be required to contain a minimum of 90% Sangiovese, with the remainder of the restricted to a limited number of native Italian red grape varieties. This latter requirement shuts out the international varieties Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>©Wine -- <i>Mise en abyme</i>wineORLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06163150468541915038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080161909822087430.post-69643065194646330362023-09-18T21:36:00.005-04:002023-09-19T08:38:04.790-04:00Iran: A vitis vinifera conquest on its journey to the Far East<div>Dong, <i>et al</i>., reports on a dispersal of the <i>vitis vinifera</i> CG1 cultivar in four directions from its domestication point in western Asia, as illustrated in the map below.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdFNwfv97wPu8he3ljfHBi3FXOUh8gjOkHoNfAe__IemfQeokJuPIVj7G5NsyhWedKTOvzHtEiPiYc-9pXc-jAhv1Xfnb5AakuWv7xit0R0A27AzhqnLv0K_dZ-bbSvapy4MqziJ3iywUXPrjewA9Sa_YUmlmRuKuTKxZZwm5i1gzM39aimDNCak8AFJ4/s794/Screen%20Shot%202023-09-17%20at%2011.48.00%20AM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="572" data-original-width="794" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdFNwfv97wPu8he3ljfHBi3FXOUh8gjOkHoNfAe__IemfQeokJuPIVj7G5NsyhWedKTOvzHtEiPiYc-9pXc-jAhv1Xfnb5AakuWv7xit0R0A27AzhqnLv0K_dZ-bbSvapy4MqziJ3iywUXPrjewA9Sa_YUmlmRuKuTKxZZwm5i1gzM39aimDNCak8AFJ4/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-09-17%20at%2011.48.00%20AM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">High-Level view of the early stages of <i>vitis vinifera</i> <br />distribution from the Western Asia Domestication<br />Center (after Dong, <i>et al</i>.)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>I have previously detailed hypotheses as to how the cultivar spread into <a href="https://mowse.blogspot.com/2023/06/the-natufians-culture-most-likely-to.html">Anatolia</a> and across <a href="https://mowse.blogspot.com/2023/08/the-spread-of-vitis-vinifera-in-western.html">Europe and North Africa</a>, with reports on the Caucasus and the Far East in the offing. Before addressing the latter endpoints, however, I will cover the evidence of transit through Iran, the point of divergence for the cultivar's onward journeys.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>According to the authors, the dual domestications occurred 11,000 years ago. The Little Ice Age had ended by this time and the world was transitioning from the Pleistocene to the Holocene Epoch. </div></div><div><br /></div><div><div>The cold, dry climate associated with the Younger Dryas (12,800 BP - 11,600 BP) led to a rapid reduction in the size of the lushest vegetation belts and reduction in yields of natural stands of C3 plants such as cereals. </div></div><div><br /></div><div><div>There was rapid return of wetter weather post the Younger Dryas and this led to the expansion of numerous lakes and ponds and cultivation of annual crops along the shorelines. The first large villages began to appear (up to 2.5 ha) and they relied on cultivated barley and wheat or "their wild progenitors." </div><div><br /></div><div>Neolithic farming communities thrived under the favorable climate conditions of the Early Holocene and expanded "along the Levantine Corridor into Anatolia and neighboring regions." This, then, was the first movement of the cultivated grapevine outside of its birthplace. </div><div><br /></div></div><div>Post-Younger-Dryas warming took 1000 years to reach Iran and another 1000 years to reach the heart of Central Asia. Cereal grasses and trees followed the path of this warming; as did agriculture. The Neolithic -- the period of the origins and early development of agricultural economies -- launched in the Levant around 11,000 years ago and was evident in Iran during the period 10,000 BP - 7500 BP.</div><div><br /></div><div>Within Iran, Neolithisation did not occur in one fell swoop. Rather, it was evidenced as "a gradual unfolding of multiple episodes of Neolithisation producing patterns of change, continuity and adaptation over several millenia." The chart below illustrates the unfolding of Neolithisation in Iran.</div><div><div><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU9apSI2JmOw5jkzaEk5WyGnP7yvYg_bnPjXUnKA2tjvo0yurMVEVRkNFrXGgV2b9OfAvsUOfEjMZZNjPZCv4S9u7dbgLVVZD19h6hoJbVzzOIy_m0tQik2nfYiVE8WZtSp99Imrf-gnFmRl1L4ORpc9c8nS0sQ1g9_nhVJvmZm-DCFZFCaxPUw0mHp5Y/s1148/Screen%20Shot%202023-09-18%20at%2010.35.20%20AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="874" data-original-width="1148" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU9apSI2JmOw5jkzaEk5WyGnP7yvYg_bnPjXUnKA2tjvo0yurMVEVRkNFrXGgV2b9OfAvsUOfEjMZZNjPZCv4S9u7dbgLVVZD19h6hoJbVzzOIy_m0tQik2nfYiVE8WZtSp99Imrf-gnFmRl1L4ORpc9c8nS0sQ1g9_nhVJvmZm-DCFZFCaxPUw0mHp5Y/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-09-18%20at%2010.35.20%20AM.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>Human groups in Iran's Zagros Mountains developed autonomously -- in relation to the Levant -- during the beginning of the Holocene, with local domestication of goats and early stage agriculture based on barley. The material culture has been confirmed by DNA studies which show that humans from the Zagros and Levant were "strongly differentiated genetically and were each descended from local hunter-gatherers." </div><div><br /></div><div>There were a number of core areas that were "large enough to have fostered distinct and thriving societies throughout the Neolithic and beyond":</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Northern, central, and southern Zagros</li><li>Khuzistan lowland</li><li>Southern Iran</li><li>Northeastern Kopet Dag</li></ul></div><div>Of the above, the Khuzistan lowland has "the longest continuous sequence of Neolithic occupation" and the "oldest substantial evidence for agriculture and animal husbandry in Iran." Given our assertion of a nexus between the adoption of agriculture and the adoption of grape cultivation, and the proximity of Khuzistan to the Fertile Crescent, it is quite likely that grape vines were cultivated in Khuzistan at some time in the Neolithic. And that assertion is bolstered by archaeological findings at Hajji Firuj, a Northern Zagros archaeological site which was occupied between 7900 and 7500 BP.</div><div><br /></div><div>Hajji Firuz was a small village of single-family dwellings with an economy based on a mix of farming and herding, with the latter potentially requiring seasonal migration. The dates of occupation suggest that agriculture and herding at this location was relatively late when compared to Central Zagros and the Khuzistan lowlands. The location of the site is illustrated on the map below.</div><div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiezHpyHaroFJB7zMTdFmF_Md-MyuGatBk4xN73vgkj-4b6H46lmA0-OfGofn1QXFV78Bii4SgM-jpFzmjBqmTnpIKeYZxadJ2wWqwlErVg71tal_jW53Sak31EsqK6_fx0yjxbT8UdRFmXU1VM8LDXYzkqNN383-xELqxowfC95EZD-hqznj9zJtE3/s962/Screen%20Shot%202022-09-17%20at%208.15.20%20PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="718" data-original-width="962" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiezHpyHaroFJB7zMTdFmF_Md-MyuGatBk4xN73vgkj-4b6H46lmA0-OfGofn1QXFV78Bii4SgM-jpFzmjBqmTnpIKeYZxadJ2wWqwlErVg71tal_jW53Sak31EsqK6_fx0yjxbT8UdRFmXU1VM8LDXYzkqNN383-xELqxowfC95EZD-hqznj9zJtE3/s320/Screen%20Shot%202022-09-17%20at%208.15.20%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red oval highlights archaeological sites where proof<br /> of winemaking in ancient Iran (Persia) was unearthed. </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Hajji Firuz Tepe was the subject of an archaeological excavation in 1968 at which five 2.5 gallon (9 liter) jars were found embedded in an earthen floor along a wall of a Neolithic mud brick building. Two of these jars had a yellowish residue on the bottom which, after being subjected to infrared liquid chromatography and wet chemical analysis, proved to be a combination of calcium tartrate and terebinth tree resin. Tartaric acid in the amounts found can only be associated with grapes and the amount of wine that would be housed in the five containers would be much more than required for a single family's use. Clay stoppers that perfectly fit the openings at the top of the clay jars were found in close proximity to the jars and was assumed to have been used to prevent the contents from turning to vinegar. These factors led the archaeologists to tag this site as a wine-production facility -- playfully called "Chateau" Hajji Firuz by Dr. McGovern. As wines in Greece even today are resinated, the assumption is that resin was added to Neolithic wines either as a preservative or for medicinal purposes.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZieGprYjalG2bvot3eW_BsLYJJmsi6_OAmqD4CSiNbmEkq98_JpqOMONuvThf4GwY24NL1rsNCc-3ZoNyFc1Ry_bj70My9V92PwOxoEAJrwHA257SZ33YQQ-GX9DxtY0uEg-bfGvrHXHBtKrEQlTSaKN2GMz3nQtJ2Z8yZpaeVL7CMcOWBEr0Rb4L/s1656/119863685_o.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1656" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZieGprYjalG2bvot3eW_BsLYJJmsi6_OAmqD4CSiNbmEkq98_JpqOMONuvThf4GwY24NL1rsNCc-3ZoNyFc1Ry_bj70My9V92PwOxoEAJrwHA257SZ33YQQ-GX9DxtY0uEg-bfGvrHXHBtKrEQlTSaKN2GMz3nQtJ2Z8yZpaeVL7CMcOWBEr0Rb4L/s320/119863685_o.jpeg" width="309" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jar from Hajji Firuz Tepe<br />(Source: alaintruong.com)<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>The work done by the McGovern team clearly shows the use/consumption of wine within Neolithic Iran. Given that the domestication of <i>vitis vinifera</i> fell within the bounds of the Fertile Crescent, and that the southwestern part of Iran also fell within the bounds of that construct, its transit route into Iran becomes clearer.</div><div><br /></div><div>Pottery-making in Iran has a history dating back to the early 7th millennium with the advent of agriculture giving rise to the baking of clay and the making of utensils. The use of clay jars for the storage of wine at Hajji Firuz Tepe is, therefore, a temporal fit.</div><div><br /></div><div>From Iran, vitis vinifera CG1 made its way to the Caucasus and Central Asia. I will cover the former in my next post on the topic.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div><div><b>Bibliography</b></div></div><div>Saffaid Alibaigi and A. Salomiyan, The Archaeological landscape of the Neolithic period in the western foothills of the Zagros Mountains: New evidence for the Sar Pol-Ezahāb region, Iraq - Iran Borderland, Iraq, Vol 82, Cambridge University Press, December 2020.</div><div>Oliver Barge, <i>et al</i>., Diffusion of Anatolian and Caucasian Obsidian in the Zagros Mountains and the highlands of Iran: Elements of Explanation in 'leastcost path' models, Quaternary International 467 (Part B), February 2018.</div><div>Dong, <i>et al</i>., Dual domestications and origin of traits in grapevine evolution, Science, 3/3/23</div></div><div>Encyclopedia Iranica, Neolithic age in Iran.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>©Wine -- <i>Mise en abyme</i>wineORLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06163150468541915038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080161909822087430.post-22317826914689362292023-09-08T12:28:00.007-04:002023-09-09T09:48:49.852-04:00Pomino DOC: The gem within the ambit of Chianti Rufina DOCG<div>Pomino DOC is a vanishingly small (64 ha) appellation resident within the bounds of the Chianti Rufina DOCG. Having extensively treated the latter, I would be remiss if I moved on without alerting readers as to its presence and character.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh83o0HSJA4jbnuks4rlyJETUSSX9KPUCCdpa64UQBdVP6VKs0WyRYAfhlKI-nY0A-k99B7FSiNv_PmkhMtyM5WeedtbBUcmDpNE8Qtk3fzCG7RiSann7ZTTMhZCKF-PSruRk01aoWJIEzHNX-uHPbwNMbSgZJ_kHbLYRPwBd7G5FaQ4INCL5z8zItTiWs/s465/IMG_7667.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="465" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh83o0HSJA4jbnuks4rlyJETUSSX9KPUCCdpa64UQBdVP6VKs0WyRYAfhlKI-nY0A-k99B7FSiNv_PmkhMtyM5WeedtbBUcmDpNE8Qtk3fzCG7RiSann7ZTTMhZCKF-PSruRk01aoWJIEzHNX-uHPbwNMbSgZJ_kHbLYRPwBd7G5FaQ4INCL5z8zItTiWs/s320/IMG_7667.jpeg" width="275" /></a></div><br /><div>The story of Pomino DOC is the story of the vision and dedication of one man: Vittorio degli Albizzi.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTEwGWM0CNKtZS_AzO5PIjvZHT3KtLW7my1_QgzrkVOt1_wqepQPXt2e1TZazfE9DUxjsRuTdEj3ToOwIFR9VcF-SCBimXHfy8TVAxD7J9i60SwlxX7IYJJ0k2H-vBhi5T3BU7-RIY05uJG2fseWdTR220IYB_rWjgVhRVog6rrfszQU_2Z-lJWsECqjg/s710/IMG_7666.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="710" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTEwGWM0CNKtZS_AzO5PIjvZHT3KtLW7my1_QgzrkVOt1_wqepQPXt2e1TZazfE9DUxjsRuTdEj3ToOwIFR9VcF-SCBimXHfy8TVAxD7J9i60SwlxX7IYJJ0k2H-vBhi5T3BU7-RIY05uJG2fseWdTR220IYB_rWjgVhRVog6rrfszQU_2Z-lJWsECqjg/s320/IMG_7666.jpeg" width="225" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Vittorio degli Albizzi</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>The Albizzi family has Germanic roots dating back to the time of the Holy Roman Emperor Otto III. In Italy, the family initially settled in Arezzo but transferred to Florence in the 12th century, and "by the beginning of the <i>Trecento</i> had established themselves as one of the most prominent <i>popolano</i> families." As a result, their political influence swelled in the second half of the Trecento. </div><div><br /></div><div>In the 1360s, the Albizzi family fought bitterly with a faction headed up by the Ricci family, a "battle" culminating in the Florentine <i>Signoria</i> banning the Albizzis frrom holding public office for 5 years. The family was not down and out for long, however. At the conclusion of the Ciompi Revolt (1378 - 1382), Florence was governed by an oligarchic regime headed by Maso degli Albizzi. "Maso and his fellow patricians negated the egalitarian reforms created during the Ciompi period and reinstituted a structure that gave a greater voice (and a substantial majority in committees) to greater guildsmen." Masi controlled the government until his death in 1417.</div><div><br /></div><div>Upon Masi's death, his son Rinaldo took control and managed affairs until his demise at the hands of Cosimo di' Medici in 1434. Rinaldo was exiled, with the family moving to Provence, France.</div><div><br /></div><div>Amerigo degli Abizzi, the last member of the Italian branch of the Abizzi family, having no heirs, summoned Alessandro -- of the branch of the family that had been exiled to France by the Medici's -- in 1838 to return to Florence along with his wife, Vittoria Le Caruye, and their children Vittorio and Leonia. When Amerigo died four years later, his considerable fortune, including Nipozzana and its castle, Pomino, Poggio a Remole, and Montefalcone in the diocese of Lucca, all passed to Alessandro.</div><div><br /></div><div>Vittorio, in turn, inherited the family title and fortune upon his father's death. Over the years he became a respected member of the Accademia dei Georgofili, an institution best known for "promoting, amongst scholars and landowners, the studying of agronomy, forestry, economy, geography and agriculture." he also became a friend of Baron Bettino Ricasoli, the "illustrious politician and visionary wine entrepreuner" who "originated the formula for Chianti wine."</div><div><br /></div><div>The wine environment in Tuscany at this time was characterized by:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Poor wines</li><li>Producers and peasant farmers emphasizing quantity over quality</li><li>A preference for growing vines <i>a testuccio</i> or in mixed-growth environments</li></ul></div><div>Vittorio applied the experience he had gained in France to the production of fine wines in Tuscany. For example, he preferred the cultivation of specialized, low-growing vines to the widely deployed a testuccio method. Betweeen 1860 and 1877 he planted an exclusive vineyard at Pomino wherein he introduced the French varieties Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Semillon, and Roussanne (Chardonnay had already been introduced in 1855.). He also experimented at the glassworks in Pontassieve, inventing a stronger glass neck for the traditional straw-covered wine flask.</div><div><br /></div><div>Vittorio died in 1877 at the age of 39 years. He had no heirs so his estate passed on to his sister Leonia who had been married to Angelo Frescobaldi since 1863.</div><div><br /></div><div>Pomino -- little apple -- is a DOC (1983) extending over 64 ha, partially overlapping the commune of the same name. The zone has vineyards that reach as high as 767 m, the highest in all of Tuscany.</div><div><br /></div><div>The area had been identified in 1718 by Cosimo III Duke of Tuscany as one of the four areas in Tuscany with the potential for producing quality wines. In that period the area grew typical Chianti grapes. Pomino DOC is colder than surrounding areas and, as such, is extremely well-suited to the growth of white varieties. </div><div><br /></div><div>The soils at Castello Pomino -- the almost-monopole of the DOC -- are sand- and mineral-rich, rocky, and well-drained and range from acidic to slightly acidic.</div><div><br /></div><div>The varieties grown today include Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, and Trebbiano for whites; and Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Sangiovese for reds.</div><div><br /></div><div>The wines allowed in the region are illustrated in the chart below.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicbL246_NlPw2AZbL0woqQjBlLgH-pJlf3yv6D05bieVnpsUPWzPlHhUQMJvjiPoS7lleWeWuL0jveM03gQN6Slx33j4WawsJI2psa3Nsl4igmGq0zKO_GxYdsBuGH6oWPg14XWab5byFfdjhfH10kqk0HugKQj1MiuDDNGoVGFbAWUsVSh25R4xPtb-8/s1393/Screen%20Shot%202023-09-08%20at%209.37.55%20AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="875" data-original-width="1393" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicbL246_NlPw2AZbL0woqQjBlLgH-pJlf3yv6D05bieVnpsUPWzPlHhUQMJvjiPoS7lleWeWuL0jveM03gQN6Slx33j4WawsJI2psa3Nsl4igmGq0zKO_GxYdsBuGH6oWPg14XWab5byFfdjhfH10kqk0HugKQj1MiuDDNGoVGFbAWUsVSh25R4xPtb-8/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-09-08%20at%209.37.55%20AM.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>Given the dominace of the Frescobaldi position, I will use their wines as being representative of wine production in the region. Castello Pomino produces a Riserva, a Bianco, a Vin Santo, and a sparkling wine:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Benefizio Riserva -- 100% Chardonnay that is barrel-fermented and -aged</li><li>Pomino -- Primarily Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio blend that is fermented in SS tanks (mostly) and barrique</li><li>Pomino Pinot Nero -- 100% Pinot Noir fermented in oak conical vats with MLF and aging in barriques</li><li>Vin Santo -- Blend of Trebbiano, Malvasia Bianco Toscana, and San Colombano that is aged in small wooden barrels for 7 years</li><li>Leonia Pomino Brut -- Pinot Noir and Chardonnay blend that is fermented in tank and wood and aged on lees in bottle for 36 months.</li></ul></div><div>Today Pomino DOC wines continue to honor the legacy of Vittorio, as shown by the offerings of Castello Pomino.</div><div><br /></div>©Wine -- <i>Mise en abyme</i>wineORLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06163150468541915038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080161909822087430.post-69188131932575772632023-08-31T10:03:00.004-04:002023-09-02T14:05:37.260-04:00The wines of Chianti Rufina DOCG and its Terraelectae schema<div>Chianti Rufina DOCG, as a subzone of Chianti DOCG, is qualified to produce any of the wines allowed in the appelation.</div><div> </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8zloKBJvP_mqsh9deB_vasOIHPtVppz-jIqWN58orIuZNjTOOuTY5wUKxMNLOBCJuNT8mf59j3JOyzPcHXOSJcbLI91EgLUADK_9KPo8IzptpAdzVKzxXmbMytIzdPSlxvH_Czdv8LN8JjJ3ALdAUEx0nJozMpLyuZZVlh9WdhqDh6F6laftVFtzyzNo/s1038/IMG_7624.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="784" data-original-width="1038" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8zloKBJvP_mqsh9deB_vasOIHPtVppz-jIqWN58orIuZNjTOOuTY5wUKxMNLOBCJuNT8mf59j3JOyzPcHXOSJcbLI91EgLUADK_9KPo8IzptpAdzVKzxXmbMytIzdPSlxvH_Czdv8LN8JjJ3ALdAUEx0nJozMpLyuZZVlh9WdhqDh6F6laftVFtzyzNo/s320/IMG_7624.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Screenshot from consorziovini.it</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>The purpose herein is not to explore those broader wines. Rather, it is to explore the wines that are unique to Chianti Rufina. A wine is a Chianti Rufina DOCG on the basis of the physical environment and its adherence to/attainment of the specified production disciplines. I have reported on the physical environment in a previous post and will cover the built environment, the production requirements, and the wines herein.</div><div><br /></div><div>Chianti DOCG is an appellation built on a Sangiovese foundation; and the same holds true for Chianti Rufina DOCG. The fundamental wine of the region is some mix of Sangiovese (<u>></u> 70%), approved varieties (<u><</u> 30%), white grapes (<u><</u> 10%), and Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc (<u><</u> 15%). A listing of the varieties grown in the appellation is shown below.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpgZzy7vq4m_HhYOaFBrWh38707aV7LfxdoJ5kdVDkZq3iUxDIPXqJcJeOt5T537W__SpJbhOx1AHYkHbUw2JJBiPCtFP5pvBl5DigCBRBk8UyAFOyvHLNgjJW-ln4iHl-OHt74h1UrVhpb7ziJ-T-e-heSwCW6HB-DzHSHutPNYbfHjlvxS2jvHF4KRQ/s428/Screen%20Shot%202023-08-30%20at%205.21.29%20PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="378" data-original-width="428" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpgZzy7vq4m_HhYOaFBrWh38707aV7LfxdoJ5kdVDkZq3iUxDIPXqJcJeOt5T537W__SpJbhOx1AHYkHbUw2JJBiPCtFP5pvBl5DigCBRBk8UyAFOyvHLNgjJW-ln4iHl-OHt74h1UrVhpb7ziJ-T-e-heSwCW6HB-DzHSHutPNYbfHjlvxS2jvHF4KRQ/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-08-30%20at%205.21.29%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>There are a total of 22 producers of Chianti Rufino DOCG wines and, according to the Consorzio, 20 of those are members of the association. The map below shows the producers and their distribution across the region.<br /><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC9LFFbPq3GpD2da7mpbryK87xDK-wLT0VOa8DnwbDaWQu3Xh81GgvxlWJRDLzTDG1C3w9AjP0xydDlaomae3OXkuW_J-aoiyPRH4VLGV7FDnIkuiEZKE7d7i_KsWC0OpcSMdkTB1_29SKONK0U_JPLbWX1nE3-QRmc4nHd-Co3txylEV3I3Z-f1DvvH0/s1280/IMG_7490.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC9LFFbPq3GpD2da7mpbryK87xDK-wLT0VOa8DnwbDaWQu3Xh81GgvxlWJRDLzTDG1C3w9AjP0xydDlaomae3OXkuW_J-aoiyPRH4VLGV7FDnIkuiEZKE7d7i_KsWC0OpcSMdkTB1_29SKONK0U_JPLbWX1nE3-QRmc4nHd-Co3txylEV3I3Z-f1DvvH0/s320/IMG_7490.jpg" width="250" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chianti Rufino map with producers</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>While ownerships have changed over time (for the most part), a fair number of these locations have been in the grape-growing business for a minute. For example, grapes have been grown at the Selvapiano location since 1826, at Colognole since 1892, at I Veroni since 1585, etc. Notwithstanding the traditional ages of these estates, they are not hidebound, as almost 50% of the producers are either certified organic or are farming according to organic principles. It should be noted that many of these estates are large, with vineyard space accounting for relatively small shares of the surface area.</div><div><br /></div><div>The table below illustrates the scope of Chianti Rufina DOCG wines.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-mB_mx6J4906MiJKei9Sz_61_G5TyZpjgsoXdcybxBADx7ujV4gZ0xZ0BnwTi_g7rMq1QFeI3yT_r7JFBpM-AERuw5XaVD7wwwmGkYXdTUZqkQfVKHxRkgoSo-ai9CnL6sQPZ8N4RzuSN83Jk0osS2UUYdSEoBQPaneVyp1SEC4FLhzcy4FUUT7yLsAg/s1066/Screen%20Shot%202023-08-30%20at%204.03.27%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="819" data-original-width="1066" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-mB_mx6J4906MiJKei9Sz_61_G5TyZpjgsoXdcybxBADx7ujV4gZ0xZ0BnwTi_g7rMq1QFeI3yT_r7JFBpM-AERuw5XaVD7wwwmGkYXdTUZqkQfVKHxRkgoSo-ai9CnL6sQPZ8N4RzuSN83Jk0osS2UUYdSEoBQPaneVyp1SEC4FLhzcy4FUUT7yLsAg/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-08-30%20at%204.03.27%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>Beginning with the 2018 vintage, the Chianti Rufino producers introduced a new tier of wine with the nomenclature Terraelectae, a collective mark of the Consorzia and the associated wine. The wine — requirements illustrated in the table above — was created to "eloquently express the finest qualities of Sangiovese in Tuscany.”</div><div><br /></div><div>The producers had been exploring ways to achieve a more precise representation of their territorial uniqueness and decided that the way forward was to select their finest quality vineyards exclusively dedicated to Sangiovese — one cru per winery — to produce a wine named after that vineyard. The initial vintage was 2018 with ten participating producers. An additional two producers opted to wait until the 2019 or 2020 vintages to provide their offerings.</div><div><br /></div><div>Writing in Decanter (Chianti Rufina ups its game with Terraelectae, 11/30/22). Michael Apstein stated that all of the 2018s showed very well. Those initial wines are illustrated below.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlKyOWdk2ZJXLp20GoVadbZKn7xjB3ASMrF_q-b65EtBZ7s6HGswaThwo7-20lyQDgJuU_yWw1_iQ_5aq2bitcApTd3cts7GyiYQsEdkFoOc-5M0sCsSBSwVb9jJAbGCo3a6ECOHX3hFbvI6NfEQiCjxOSUdnx_ObY6VsbR0UN58Phwl0KS822MYEm60o/s1920/Terraelectae1.001.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlKyOWdk2ZJXLp20GoVadbZKn7xjB3ASMrF_q-b65EtBZ7s6HGswaThwo7-20lyQDgJuU_yWw1_iQ_5aq2bitcApTd3cts7GyiYQsEdkFoOc-5M0sCsSBSwVb9jJAbGCo3a6ECOHX3hFbvI6NfEQiCjxOSUdnx_ObY6VsbR0UN58Phwl0KS822MYEm60o/s320/Terraelectae1.001.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpXrDudgmfSUHxPQL-j2NyrNNsZQp1HatMVNHRxTjjNNl8Pe5s57VJl12SSXEu_RKxDceh7TUXJJkns8Bx-EIOvfYo96bI7garBe3gfnYAs2Nrzur9xFpPvkl5kep-9nvXIQ5hf4IHJj0/s1139/fullsizeoutput_168.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1139" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpXrDudgmfSUHxPQL-j2NyrNNsZQp1HatMVNHRxTjjNNl8Pe5s57VJl12SSXEu_RKxDceh7TUXJJkns8Bx-EIOvfYo96bI7garBe3gfnYAs2Nrzur9xFpPvkl5kep-9nvXIQ5hf4IHJj0/s320/fullsizeoutput_168.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><div>Apstein: “If the wines remain high-quality and a unique expression of Sangiovese reflecting the distinctive terroir of Chianti Rufina, the Terraelectae moniker on the label will be useful to customers.”</div><div><br /></div><div>Writing in Terroir Sense Wine Review (The Magnificent 2019 Chianti Rufina Terraelectae Wine, 4/20/23), Ian D’Agata writes thusly about the sophomore edition of the wines: “I have no recollection of having ever, and I mean ever, tasted a similarly impressive set of new wines such as these 2019 Chianti Rufina Terraelectae wines.”</div><div><br /></div><div>This is a forceful validation of the Chianti Rufina top-end wine direction from a force within the industry.</div></div><div><br /></div>©Wine -- <i>Mise en abyme</i>wineORLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06163150468541915038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080161909822087430.post-21914404961467373252023-08-23T15:21:00.002-04:002023-08-23T15:21:49.806-04:00Sangiovese terroirs: Chianti Rufina<div>Chianti DOCG is a large wine zone spreading, as it does, over 15,000 ha and seven subzones in the heart of Tuscany. With a zone of this size, quality is bound to vary between producers and subzones and producers will engage in both intra- and inter-zone competition. For Chianti producers, this competition will extend to include Chianti Classico. </div><div><br /></div><div>Such is the case for the producers in Chianti Rufina, the smallest (12,453 ha) of the Chianti subzones.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgwgu4atHrTuUg_zrB5_lOWNWVxgNqvrXHsHiYZWl6-9AajdoQ_qFr2Hz5_53OB7YWMcfP1My5MXozP4QhR0aY64LHya1riyv5ARV1B1I-s9Le8mqSx4jvqbPzUxA0618bupQNAQY8a91ZtAmCuExNQzrEwGWny6qaZeFW6_ubsv-vB9Sw33zw7hlAeXE/s780/chianti_map.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="780" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgwgu4atHrTuUg_zrB5_lOWNWVxgNqvrXHsHiYZWl6-9AajdoQ_qFr2Hz5_53OB7YWMcfP1My5MXozP4QhR0aY64LHya1riyv5ARV1B1I-s9Le8mqSx4jvqbPzUxA0618bupQNAQY8a91ZtAmCuExNQzrEwGWny6qaZeFW6_ubsv-vB9Sw33zw7hlAeXE/s320/chianti_map.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Map of Chianti wine region with Chianti Rufina<br />enclosed within the red circle (Map sourced from<br />chianti.chianti.net)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3c2BK644xJ-ZX_a-oSse1GA1B_1nQFeiGGGH2eY6v04UW30LUUb6olU89VgWz6jyGNdARAwUGy8jP8kYLzskTDdmJVa-Qcg0CB6kYZRKYhfs7D5FpnMWPqMG6Tbj2Ayox2KFXcc49xD7L_6LPmEtikR6jeyecRB7iralerwioXN-djj0J4CSxyw0nrBM/s507/Screen%20Shot%202023-08-23%20at%205.02.59%20AM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="507" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3c2BK644xJ-ZX_a-oSse1GA1B_1nQFeiGGGH2eY6v04UW30LUUb6olU89VgWz6jyGNdARAwUGy8jP8kYLzskTDdmJVa-Qcg0CB6kYZRKYhfs7D5FpnMWPqMG6Tbj2Ayox2KFXcc49xD7L_6LPmEtikR6jeyecRB7iralerwioXN-djj0J4CSxyw0nrBM/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-08-23%20at%205.02.59%20AM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chianti Rufina detail with districts indicated <br />by orange circles (Source: chiantirufina.com)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Chianti Rufina is a source of well-regarded, high-altitude Sangiovese wines which punch above their weight in the market. According to Ian D'Agata, the region's wines:</div><blockquote><div>... range from the sleek, steely, mineral and highly perfumed to the slightly plumper and richer; but to be clear, for the most part, Rufina's are Chiantis that are generally much more penetrating and lifted than any other Chianti or Chianti Classico wine.</div></blockquote><div>Chianti Rufina has taken a step to stay abreast of Chianti Classico's top-level wine initiative (Gran Selezione) by introducing its own elevated-quality wine, Terraelectae. The high regard in which this region is held, and its fledgling initiative, dictate a deep dive on my part. I begin herein with the physical characteristics of the subregion.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>History</b></div><div>Vine cultivation and wine-making in what is today’s Chianti Rufina region stretches back to Etruscan times. More recently, land records from 1401 attest to the presence of vineyards at Nipozzano. A document dating to the 15th century — the Statutes of the County of Turicchi, as approved by Messer Leonardo Salutati, the Bishop of Fiesole — records the penalties to be assessed in the event of vineyard fires.</div><div><br /></div><div>The further history of vine growing in Chianti Rufina most likely mirrors the history of the broader Chianti as I have described it <a href="https://mowse.blogspot.com/2021/01/vine-training-systems-in-use-in-14th.html">here</a> (broader Tuscany in the 14th century), <a href="https://mowse.blogspot.com/2021/01/sangiovese-cultivar-at-italys-core-part_15.html">here</a> (Chianti, 15th to 19th century) and <a href="https://mowse.blogspot.com/2021/01/sangiovese-viticulture-part-ii.html">here</a> (Chianti, 20th century).</div><div><br /></div><div>The first demarcation of the area occurred in the 18th century when Cosimo III, Grand Duke of Tuscany, issued an edict on September 24, 1716, which declared the boundaries of four areas in Tuscany — Chianti, Pomino, Carmagno, and Val d’Arno di Sopra — in which the production and trade of wine "… was subject to regulation and control by the authorities.”</div><div><br /></div><div>The demarcation of Chianti Rufino was further enshrined in a 1932 Italian Ministerial Decree which established the territorial limits of Chianti and defined the various sub-regions, inclusive of Rufino. Chianti Rufino attained DOC status in 1967 and DOCG status in 1984.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Climate</b></div><div>Chianti Rufino experiences hot summers, with average temperatures ranging between 22℃ and 23℃, and cold and moderately rainy winters. The average winter temperature ranges between 4℃ and 6℃. The average annual rainfall is between 900 and 1150 mm with a summer minimum, the main maximum in autumn, and a secondary maximum between winter and spring. Snowfall is relatively rare.</div><div><br /></div><div>The region has a temperate sub-coastal climate, according to the Koeppin classification system (revised by Pinna for the Italian area):</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Average annual temperature between 10℃ and 14.4℃</li><li>Average of the coldest month ranges between 4℃ and 5.9℃</li><li>Three months (June, July, August) with average temperature > 20℃</li><li>Annual temperature range: 16℃ - 19℃. </li></ul>The characteristic climate of Chianti Rufina is the result of a combination of factors (Consorzio):</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Latitudinal factors</li><li>Orographic factors (slope, exposure, position)</li><li>The Mediterranean — source of masses of humid and mild air in all seasons </li><li>The Atlantic Ocean — source of moist air masses and relatively mild (polar maritime) air that is colder than the Mediterranean with resulting perturbations causing frontal and vortex systems that are particularly frequent from autumn to spring</li><li>The Eurasian landmass — source of continental polar air masses, particularly cold and dry in the winter</li><li>The Arctic — source of cold air masses all seasons</li><li>The subtropical belt — source of torrid air masses which heat up and gain humidity as they pass over the Mediterranean.</li></ul>As a part of its zonation study, the Consorzio arrived at the following conclusions <i>vis a vis</i> the Chianti Rufina climate:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>… climate that in general can be defined as a warm temperate climate with a dry, hot summer</li><li>… conclude that the agroclimatic characteristics of the wine-growing area of Chianti Rufina make it a territory suited for quality viticulture</li><li>… the analysis of climatic resources shows excellent levers of radiative and thermal resources and rainfall , which are placed on values similar to those found in the best wine-growing areas in Italy and worldwide</li><li>Furthermore, the risk analysis of critical meteorological events for wine production (low winter temperatures, late frosts, high summer temperatures, precipitation in the pre-harvest period, drought) shows that the risk levels do not appear particularly relevant or in any case they are placed such as not to jeopardize viticulture.</li></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Geology and Soils</b></div><div>The Chianti Rufina zonation study sought to identify the physical characteristics of the subregion and map those to vineyard characteristics in order to determine the optimal locations for allowed varieties. I have reported on the climatic findings of the study in a previous section and turn now to the terrestrial aspects.</div><div><br /></div><div>The chart below shows the elevations within the Chianti Rufina area. As a result of the region’s location on the slopes of the Tuscan-Romagnola Apennines, growing zone elevations can reach as high as 700 m.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghHBBupvtzEjNUJax5vOWTpn8s4ELVf12npUpS_AJSC0C_c_HsqKl2xafeuAoWCBhSrA2QF68VMO5MUgRbpj0-90QgoSBl_gLOIA2wYkF0v3OGXA99bWu1lzE_qHZNQOHT4nrVztXaakCgbSh7cJAjQF61rdCsPSpInWdAJbGnJbVdIqugKaSjXX1xSL0/s612/Screen%20Shot%202023-08-22%20at%208.32.26%20AM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="612" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghHBBupvtzEjNUJax5vOWTpn8s4ELVf12npUpS_AJSC0C_c_HsqKl2xafeuAoWCBhSrA2QF68VMO5MUgRbpj0-90QgoSBl_gLOIA2wYkF0v3OGXA99bWu1lzE_qHZNQOHT4nrVztXaakCgbSh7cJAjQF61rdCsPSpInWdAJbGnJbVdIqugKaSjXX1xSL0/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-08-22%20at%208.32.26%20AM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Altitude ranges in Chianti Rufina (Source: chiantirufina.com)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>The results of the geological and soil aspects of the zonation study are presented in the chart below.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKnx75T7MwKX3G7V6eKRkV5PDPkTuzhtIkVZ3icCvriZNft3uVFn88Pe-K7lXYN6mi8HIqykb2-we4XggL7zuDW3TiKxEEWNVvBHbvLOJH7Z_wYuGbdzg1Ybn5R0sPb_VK8QzGLRZxl5ziHUPXhokicbZgFy5NsG6xzm3B3Zq6r8ToQBxXsjIPc4b5IdI/s1870/fullsizeoutput_167.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="870" data-original-width="1870" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKnx75T7MwKX3G7V6eKRkV5PDPkTuzhtIkVZ3icCvriZNft3uVFn88Pe-K7lXYN6mi8HIqykb2-we4XggL7zuDW3TiKxEEWNVvBHbvLOJH7Z_wYuGbdzg1Ybn5R0sPb_VK8QzGLRZxl5ziHUPXhokicbZgFy5NsG6xzm3B3Zq6r8ToQBxXsjIPc4b5IdI/s320/fullsizeoutput_167.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>Key elements of the physical environment have been curated from the writings of Ian D’Agata and Chateau Monty:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The average elevation across the growing zone is 350 m</li><li>Altitude helps with the moderation of summer heat as well as facilitating thermal excursions — aids acid and aroma retention in as well as extending the ripening period</li><li>Proximity to Arno and Sieve Rivers aids in moderation of summer heat</li><li>Soils of limestone (in the area extending south to Dicomano); sand, galestro-albarese, marl, and marly clays in the south; marly silt and chaotic soils west of Pontassieve and Tigliano; and differential soils in Molino del Piano and Santa Brigida.</li></ul></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin2GtgZFBOVucY8_VpiVUFQlrnvrl5XjlBd8F6qpQPskU6BwgOUNzUhfqqmhnnbGsSsTFfCuOAAOq3roMfjDwHZbLpUvbVAur99N-trUurc1Y9UsRcotWg7OnI8iXVQUSRCEePE0tpHBtvw-eGD3XrIKFwvXnsxnrAD-8e3odCLdMGDBq__jPqDp7Mlco/s1052/Screen%20Shot%202023-08-23%20at%209.09.56%20AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1052" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin2GtgZFBOVucY8_VpiVUFQlrnvrl5XjlBd8F6qpQPskU6BwgOUNzUhfqqmhnnbGsSsTFfCuOAAOq3roMfjDwHZbLpUvbVAur99N-trUurc1Y9UsRcotWg7OnI8iXVQUSRCEePE0tpHBtvw-eGD3XrIKFwvXnsxnrAD-8e3odCLdMGDBq__jPqDp7Mlco/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-08-23%20at%209.09.56%20AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>I will explore the built environment and the wines of Chianti Rufina in future posts.<br /><div><br /></div>©Wine -- <i>Mise en abyme</i>wineORLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06163150468541915038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080161909822087430.post-66670019161206297172023-08-09T21:41:00.010-04:002023-09-18T08:59:26.231-04:00The spread of vitis vinifera in Western Eurasia<div>Dong, <i>et al</i>., shocked the wine world by providing genetic evidence of two separate, simultaneous domestications of <i>vitis sylvestris,</i> one in the Caucasus and the other in the Levant. I have described the <a href="https://mowse.blogspot.com/2023/05/domestication-drivers-in-first.html">study methodology and findings in previous posts</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div>I have also written on the <a href="https://mowse.blogspot.com/2023/07/grapevine-diversification-in-europe.html">methodologies employed</a> by the authors in attempting to answer questions regarding: (i) the diversification history of European wine grapevines and (ii) "when and how distinct grapevine ancestors formed in Europe with relevance to Syl-W introgressions." In this post I illustrate the vehicle and routes for grapevine distribution in Europe and North Africa.</div><div><br /></div><div>V<b>ehicle for Grapevine Spread</b></div><div>The Agricultural Revolution refers to the switch from hunting and gathering as the main methods of food production to the more sedentary domestication and husbanding of plants and animals. The revolution was characterized by domestication of wild flora and fauna and distribution between the original point of production and outlying areas either by migration or cultural exchange.</div><div><br /></div><div>In the case of Eurasia and North Africa, “Neolithization” occurred when agricultural innovations developed in the Fertile Crescent were distributed to all points of the horizon on the backs of migrating agriculturists. The chart below illustrates the impetus and dispersal directions in the early part of the West-Asian-origin Agricultural Revolution.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd416UDS9Uzxec9rKsYpKUN8wtlthUlSDt9YICJUD-gr7qf_Y0_o5LwrzS5yTwMYHA-vhlpvvbyImwzvUH-Zvf2lqePF6oMnf-gJvGaRUsskJbhLw1c1ZnQBAdHbXzg2vk1rjPu2XvP9AABLx1qyqDVXFBvzGk8IgHN-vaZr_86Y5cEu7FeLerZVBbq8o/s1470/Screen%20Shot%202023-08-07%20at%2011.30.36%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="842" data-original-width="1470" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd416UDS9Uzxec9rKsYpKUN8wtlthUlSDt9YICJUD-gr7qf_Y0_o5LwrzS5yTwMYHA-vhlpvvbyImwzvUH-Zvf2lqePF6oMnf-gJvGaRUsskJbhLw1c1ZnQBAdHbXzg2vk1rjPu2XvP9AABLx1qyqDVXFBvzGk8IgHN-vaZr_86Y5cEu7FeLerZVBbq8o/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-08-07%20at%2011.30.36%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Europe</b></div><div>The chart below shows the major population movements in Europe over the last 50,000 years. Hunter-gatherers who had moved south to escape the Ice Age had repopulated the continent, albeit with low-density groups.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZr9Cj03mjN09hKmLxthmvz2XJUVaQpwk0Twa5P2b7M9nMzLvlCD7eYXp7c8Wf3INUdWc0P4I13xwJSB_qhbRq_n87EWd1Y3SVJFAPiR4XHZdq0llH4kX4g5mN9d0ux8LRjwkVbtaLfR0y4j2MjzkTSV6OKKqPvZKudK4o4bTPRwYH1q2-565nYTVbaCo/s1292/Screen%20Shot%202023-08-07%20at%2010.00.17%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1292" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZr9Cj03mjN09hKmLxthmvz2XJUVaQpwk0Twa5P2b7M9nMzLvlCD7eYXp7c8Wf3INUdWc0P4I13xwJSB_qhbRq_n87EWd1Y3SVJFAPiR4XHZdq0llH4kX4g5mN9d0ux8LRjwkVbtaLfR0y4j2MjzkTSV6OKKqPvZKudK4o4bTPRwYH1q2-565nYTVbaCo/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-08-07%20at%2010.00.17%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>This situation changed approximately 8500 years ago when " a wave of populations from the Middle East entered Europe via Anatolia." This migration wave spread farming practices into the region, "initiating the Neolithic Revolution in Europe."</div><div><br /></div><div>These Anatolian-sourced farmers made their way into Europe via two routes: (i) a northern route across Central Europe and (ii) a westward route along the Mediterranean coast. The routes are illustrated graphically on the map below. The map also shows the ETA of agriculture for selected regions.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGRcWipScd9fQcf3mKsrDNExuuqK2DJfIHnLZ8JtgTO2BF89uZYS6SENz2laoUWShexv9V5o3XaMPCnz8gBnucylWI57Qd2fon8Qcz4USdIm9E4pstJdnT1mdRdhv9QopGZlTmtcIAlUz60ybtwlxLTCwifGpnbmihLbPYgq-d4JGEudAksOvw8icjpRE/s1822/fullsizeoutput_166.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="696" data-original-width="1822" height="122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGRcWipScd9fQcf3mKsrDNExuuqK2DJfIHnLZ8JtgTO2BF89uZYS6SENz2laoUWShexv9V5o3XaMPCnz8gBnucylWI57Qd2fon8Qcz4USdIm9E4pstJdnT1mdRdhv9QopGZlTmtcIAlUz60ybtwlxLTCwifGpnbmihLbPYgq-d4JGEudAksOvw8icjpRE/s320/fullsizeoutput_166.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><b>North Africa</b></div><div>According to Simōes, <i>et al</i>., the human population in North Africa had exhibited genetic continuity since the Upper Paleolithic, a period of isolation interrupted by the entry of European Early-Neolithic farmers. A study of genes retrieved from remains at a North African site, referred to as KTG, reveals that these European farmers were descendants of the Anatolian farmers who had spread to Europe by way of the Mediterranean route, eventually reaching the Iberian Peninsula.</div><div><br /></div><div>These migrants travelled to Morocco around 5500 BCE bringing with them new ways of life, farming practices, domestication traditions, and pottery traditions, all of which were adopted by the indigenous populace. </div><div><br /></div><div>A second group of genes show up in the profile of the Moroccan populace. This new migratory group is thought to be descendants of the pastoralists who had exited the Fertile Crescent and crossed the Sinai, traveling along the African Mediterranean coast and arriving in Morocco 1000 years after the descendants of the Anatolian-origin farmers.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Grapevine Distribution</b></div><div>The cultivar CG1, a table grape, made its way out of its domestication center north towards Anatolia and west towards North Africa (for the purposes of this post). Somewhere within the domestication center, or within Anatolia, there was a significant introgression of Syl-W genes into CG1. Shortly thereafter, the Muscat cultivar split off from CG1. The new ancestor variant -- CG3 in the figure below — was used both as a table grape and a wine grape.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgxxwVIOfINDUUqZz841SdvquB9ZLEYejv40jWdXg0wHf-femSFFv_kFVO3aIACY6kU_w_E6MWL8i4XCEk6zMtXsOYQBvOxy3bWp-qBZ9KyTT8sucYPl4ylRj3p5atiCDanF1gDzBJVGtX99JpkSZSw_nmO8hW1BxRVgKd0qnYTp5ZUki16wCaMM4zZQw/s1000/Screen%20Shot%202023-08-09%20at%207.50.55%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="787" data-original-width="1000" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgxxwVIOfINDUUqZz841SdvquB9ZLEYejv40jWdXg0wHf-femSFFv_kFVO3aIACY6kU_w_E6MWL8i4XCEk6zMtXsOYQBvOxy3bWp-qBZ9KyTT8sucYPl4ylRj3p5atiCDanF1gDzBJVGtX99JpkSZSw_nmO8hW1BxRVgKd0qnYTp5ZUki16wCaMM4zZQw/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-08-09%20at%207.50.55%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><div>As the Anatolian farmers traversed Europe in search of new agricultural land, they carried the CG1 cultivar along with them and it interacted with Syl-W variants along the way to form new ancestor-cultivars in the Balkans, the Iberian Peninsula, and Western France (called the Western European ancestor in the below chart).</div><div><br /></div><div>Dong, <i>et al</i>., identifies the Moroccan <i>vitis vinifera</i> as being inconsistent with a cultivar that travelled through Europe and then crossed over to Morocco. The vines did not exhibit the shared introgression from Syl-W that all European grapes possess. The Moroccan vines would have transited Africa with the descendants of the Levant-origin migrants, finally bringing vinous relief to the inhabitants 1000 years after it was available just across the strait.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>The characteristics of the grapes distributed across Europe are as indicated in the table below.</div><div><br /></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="t1" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><tbody><tr><td class="td1" style="background-color: #bec0bf; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; height: 14px; padding: 4px; width: 108px;" valign="top"><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 10px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><b>Ancestry Group</b></span></p></td><td class="td1" style="background-color: #bec0bf; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; height: 14px; padding: 4px; width: 108px;" valign="top"><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 10px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><b>Grape</b></span></p></td><td class="td1" style="background-color: #bec0bf; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; height: 14px; padding: 4px; width: 108px;" valign="top"><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 10px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><b>Date of Split from CG1</b></span></p></td><td class="td1" style="background-color: #bec0bf; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; height: 14px; padding: 4px; width: 108px;" valign="top"><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 10px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><b>Syl-W introgression</b></span></p></td></tr><tr><td class="td2" style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; height: 14px; padding: 4px; width: 108px;" valign="top"><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 10px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;">CG3</span></p></td><td class="td2" style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; height: 14px; padding: 4px; width: 108px;" valign="top"><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 10px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;">Muscat</span></p></td><td class="td2" style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; height: 14px; padding: 4px; width: 108px;" valign="top"><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 10px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;">10,500 years ago</span></p></td><td class="td2" style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; height: 14px; padding: 4px; width: 108px;" valign="top"><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 10px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;">11.4 - 18% ancient</span></p></td></tr><tr><td class="td3" style="background-color: #efefef; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; height: 13px; padding: 4px; width: 108px;" valign="top"><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 10px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;">CG4</span></p></td><td class="td3" style="background-color: #efefef; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; height: 13px; padding: 4px; width: 108px;" valign="top"><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 10px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;">Balkan Wine</span></p></td><td class="td3" style="background-color: #efefef; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; height: 13px; padding: 4px; width: 108px;" valign="top"><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 10px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;">8070 years ago</span></p></td><td class="td3" style="background-color: #efefef; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; height: 13px; padding: 4px; width: 108px;" valign="top"><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 10px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;">ditto</span></p></td></tr><tr><td class="td2" style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; height: 14px; padding: 4px; width: 108px;" valign="top"><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 10px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;">CG5</span></p></td><td class="td2" style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; height: 14px; padding: 4px; width: 108px;" valign="top"><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 10px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;">Iberian Wine</span></p></td><td class="td2" style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; height: 14px; padding: 4px; width: 108px;" valign="top"><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 10px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;">7740 years ago</span></p></td><td class="td2" style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; height: 14px; padding: 4px; width: 108px;" valign="top"><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 10px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;">ditto</span></p></td></tr><tr><td class="td4" style="background-color: #efefef; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; height: 35px; padding: 4px; width: 108px;" valign="top"><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 10px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;">CG6</span></p></td><td class="td4" style="background-color: #efefef; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; height: 35px; padding: 4px; width: 108px;" valign="top"><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 10px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;">Western European Wine</span></p></td><td class="td4" style="background-color: #efefef; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; height: 35px; padding: 4px; width: 108px;" valign="top"><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 10px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;">6910 years ago</span></p></td><td class="td4" style="background-color: #efefef; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; height: 35px; padding: 4px; width: 108px;" valign="top"><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 10px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;">ditto + 25 - 30% more recent Syl-W introgression</span></p></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /></div><div>**********************************************************************************************************</div><div>I will continue the series with discussions of the distribution of <i>vitis vinifera</i> north into the Caucasus and east into Iran in upcoming posts.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Bibliography</b></div><div>EurekaAlert, Human Mobility and Western Asia’s early State-level societies, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, 5/26/20.</div><div>D. Baird, <i>et al</i>., Agricultural origins on the Anatolian Plateau, 3/9/18.</div><div>Jan Bartek, Genomics and Archaeology Rewrite the Neolithic Revolution in the Maghreb, ancient pages.com, 6/28/2023.</div><div>B. Bramanti, <i>et al</i>., Genetic Discontinuity Between Local Hunter-Gatherers and Central Europe’s First Farmers, science, Vol 326, Issue 5949, 3 Sept 2009.</div><div>Muhal Feldman, <i>et al</i>., Late Pleistocene human genome suggests a local origin for the first farmers of central Anatolia, Nature Communications, 10 (1258), 2019.</div><div>Iosif Lazaridis, <i>et al</i>., Genomic insights into the origin of farming in the ancient Near East, Nature 536, 2016.</div><div>Iosif Lazaridis, <i>et al</i>., Ancient DNA from Mesopotamia suggests distinct Pre-Pottery and Pottery Neolithic migrations into Anatolia, Science 377, 6609, 25 Aug, 2022.</div><div>Fernando Racimo, <i>et al</i>., The spatiotemporal spread of human migrations during the European Holocene, PNAS, April 2020.</div><div>Luciana G. Simōes, <i>et al</i>., Northwest African Neolithic initiated by migrants from Iberia and Levant, Nature, 618, 6/-6/23.</div><div>Laura Spinney, When the First Farmers Arrived in Europe, Inequality Evolved, Scientific American, 7/1/2020.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>©Wine -- <i>Mise en abyme</i>wineORLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06163150468541915038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080161909822087430.post-91878310317409032432023-07-23T08:03:00.001-04:002023-07-25T08:25:56.021-04:00The Muscat wines of Samos, Greece<div>The Muscat grape is one of the oldest and most widespread grape families in the world, splitting, as it did, from the main branch of <i>vitis vinifera</i> s<a href="https://mowse.blogspot.com/2023/07/grapevine-diversification-in-europe.html">ome 10,500 years ago</a>. The, predominantly, white wine has a pronounced aromatic quality due to the higher-than-average presence of aroma compounds in the berry. The most planted of the over 200 cultivars in the family are Muscat Blanc á Petits Grains and Muscat of Alexandria and my survey of these cultivars began with a review of the former as implemented in <a href="https://mowse.blogspot.com/2020/07/asti-docg-key-aspects-of-appellation.html">the wines of Asti DOCG</a>. In this post I continue the survey with a review of the Muscat wines of Samos, Greece.</div><div><br /></div><div>Lying just 1 mile off the western coast of Turkey, the Greek North Aegean island of Samos shows occupation layers back to Neolithic times, has been ruled by every historical Western Asia great power, and is, today, one of the world renowned producers of wines from the Muscat grape.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKuNUzxwPhbjK3f2QKv8TpqV7JsM7Wu4g_maLGVBsV96RfuSEf6kXaFyKzslXVX3xDdRVpi5km0fLFjj3NMGYTP5DpJh1403lPuIjMCoxQgAJ65c_8GaVl6njb7nWm8Vy6rskCmdIvv4lP8yHapnpWmRWq_-3mmE2klHwlfkbKB7OJjLetr039tPIAwh0/s958/Screen%20Shot%202023-07-12%20at%204.15.53%20AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="958" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKuNUzxwPhbjK3f2QKv8TpqV7JsM7Wu4g_maLGVBsV96RfuSEf6kXaFyKzslXVX3xDdRVpi5km0fLFjj3NMGYTP5DpJh1403lPuIjMCoxQgAJ65c_8GaVl6njb7nWm8Vy6rskCmdIvv4lP8yHapnpWmRWq_-3mmE2klHwlfkbKB7OJjLetr039tPIAwh0/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-07-12%20at%204.15.53%20AM.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>Samos is the birthplace of notables such as Pythagoras (Greek philosopher and mathematician) Melissus of Samos (philosopher), Epicurus (philosopher), and Aristarchus of Samos (astronomer) and is the location of historically significant sites such as the Pythagorian and the Heraion of Samos. </div><div><br /></div><div>While the wines of Samos have been praised by Hippocrates and Theophiastos, it is unlikely that the mentioned wines were from the Muscat variety. The island was repopulated with peoples from all across Greece in the latter half of the 16th century and, according to samosin.gr (Viniculture at Samos), it is most likely that the Muscat grape was first brought to the island from Asia Minor around this time. According to the same source, the Muscat wine of Samos was first mentioned in the poem of Kaisarios Daponte (1714 - 1784) a priest and scholar from Skopelos.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>History</b></div><div>In the early 18th century, Samos Muscat was traded to nearby Chios, Rhodes, Smyrna, and Constantinople. By mid-century it had reached the Russian market in Odessa and Taganrog. There is mention of a 3000-barrel Muscat wine production on the island in 1787 by a German named Friesman.</div><div><br /></div><div>There was a decrease in production during the 1821 War of Independence but, overall, there were improvements in wine production and consumption during the 19th century. The French winemaker Faye was called to the island by the Government to teach advanced grapegrowing and winemaking techniques to Samian farmers. Shortly after, a young Samian was sent to France to learn winemaking techniques which he was expected to share with fellow winemakers upon his return.</div><div><br /></div><div>During this period trade links expanded into the Ottoman Empire, Egypt, Italy, Netherlands, and France and foreign companies settled on the island to be close to the grape sources.</div><div><br /></div><div>There were significant vineyard losses during the latter half of the 19th century:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Blight during the 1850s was ameliorated by the use of sulfur</li><li>Phylloxera struck in 1892 and destroyed most of the vineyards, leading to a switch to tobacco</li><ul><li>Vineyards were restored with the introduction of American rootstocks.</li></ul></ul></div><div>The foreign companies that were established on the island had pricing power over the many small growers so formation of some type of Coop had been under consideration since 1865. However, such a Coop was not founded until 1934. The now named United Winemaking Agricultural Cooperative of Samos (UWC Samos) has 2000+ growers as members. UWC Samos receives the grapes, produces the wine, and trades almost the entire production.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Physical Environment</b></div><div>Samos is 45 km (30 miles) from east to west, with several distinct mountain formations running across it. The mountains are separated by plains and valleys, the former of which is populated by olive groves and citrus trees. Bushes, pine forests, plane trees, cypresses, and chestnuts round out the large-scale flora on the island.</div><div><br /></div><div>The soils are gravel, schistolistic, well-drained and moderately fertile. No irrigation is allowed. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7YQcToX68wQEufZZzxvqWVhtDnmflm6Zqc3n8of9F6Ekv8mTv4bX7db8bPe6W2i9IhgZorFVHDXw9LB6oRaWQd2wKL10THiIrNn-7Lt4RaM9bBnk6AFwwCgP29xCBrvPwfnDtxEK_yvgMxw-SW8mGRfY5CXpRRC0ClJ_F5_Wur9NqT-X1G-raaWNLZUA/s850/IMG_7147.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="657" data-original-width="850" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7YQcToX68wQEufZZzxvqWVhtDnmflm6Zqc3n8of9F6Ekv8mTv4bX7db8bPe6W2i9IhgZorFVHDXw9LB6oRaWQd2wKL10THiIrNn-7Lt4RaM9bBnk6AFwwCgP29xCBrvPwfnDtxEK_yvgMxw-SW8mGRfY5CXpRRC0ClJ_F5_Wur9NqT-X1G-raaWNLZUA/s320/IMG_7147.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>There are over 1400 ha of vineyards distributed across the island, with most found on the north side between Karlovasi and the city of Samos, especially on the northern slopes of the centrally located Mount Ampelos where:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Vines are protected from warm southerly winds</li><li>Altitudes of up to 900 m temper the warm Mediterranean climate</li><li>High diurnal temperature is the norm</li><ul><li>Slows ripening</li><li>Aids development of aroma and character</li><li>Allows acidity retention.</li></ul></ul></div><div>Ninety-eight percent of the vines are Muscat. Vineyards are mountainous and semi-mountainous with the best wines coming from sites located at altitudes between 500 and 600 m. The cup-shaped vines are grown on dry stone terraces which are designed to hold and drain soils. The traditional vineyard architecture is illustrated in the pictures below.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_maCSaP5ZjPsn_RGvcfHlJnYC8B01f0FFVcgb2bE2S2-2uguiv4Jr1GmlCVfJyhFcd4-XlKXZjlRfNUxAklXlEJqwWBTvG69FIYqSkpwNWcN7iZpQUHoXp5anVF28fFY8MOLnJxyhuQJfJx8rS3JGkKP97eYEpYxZPaKhiAaMJvS6saDTBY1s5ufopII/s1422/%CE%95%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%BF%CC%81%CE%BD%CE%B12.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="1422" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_maCSaP5ZjPsn_RGvcfHlJnYC8B01f0FFVcgb2bE2S2-2uguiv4Jr1GmlCVfJyhFcd4-XlKXZjlRfNUxAklXlEJqwWBTvG69FIYqSkpwNWcN7iZpQUHoXp5anVF28fFY8MOLnJxyhuQJfJx8rS3JGkKP97eYEpYxZPaKhiAaMJvS6saDTBY1s5ufopII/s320/%CE%95%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%BF%CC%81%CE%BD%CE%B12.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Terraced Samos vineyard (Source: samoswine.gr)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkvgueI6zyIkcPeAvxkW5ctnW_RM8BdVm9dZh5-MnUZi6hMRIkMMfzm-2pqahQ3p7-N0kpnUaUBF9USS7wFL8fmK1I14sgnauv9Ayyr6tXC2RrtrHj0_n7RFRAKfRqbgYAwW6tgOrIX80ii8ZkYq0WTCYJzU7xSBCxu-hZwgHxGrsVIIIYQErdMVLCvx4/s1422/%CE%95%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%BF%CC%81%CE%BD%CE%B1-3.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="1422" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkvgueI6zyIkcPeAvxkW5ctnW_RM8BdVm9dZh5-MnUZi6hMRIkMMfzm-2pqahQ3p7-N0kpnUaUBF9USS7wFL8fmK1I14sgnauv9Ayyr6tXC2RrtrHj0_n7RFRAKfRqbgYAwW6tgOrIX80ii8ZkYq0WTCYJzU7xSBCxu-hZwgHxGrsVIIIYQErdMVLCvx4/s320/%CE%95%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%BF%CC%81%CE%BD%CE%B1-3.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close-up of Samos stone terraces <br />(Source: samoswine.gr)</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLdK0CpDCCw82xmH5GXezMoiG90x7Tg9UU5H3QyFH5nO9BIt2Cj8X7grEIdZzkXCcgAqwzT4MVMEyE45D7JivtXhcX6Pva5PJMZxXzqQFUXauqrwgBxJ9qJYNC4PtY8V05qasSFly9BjxJ7yITDjzBNi3ZgiMqGSvLSaep3tsPK-GpdWm6YUikZz7UWow/s1422/%CE%95%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%BF%CC%81%CE%BD%CE%B117.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="1422" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLdK0CpDCCw82xmH5GXezMoiG90x7Tg9UU5H3QyFH5nO9BIt2Cj8X7grEIdZzkXCcgAqwzT4MVMEyE45D7JivtXhcX6Pva5PJMZxXzqQFUXauqrwgBxJ9qJYNC4PtY8V05qasSFly9BjxJ7yITDjzBNi3ZgiMqGSvLSaep3tsPK-GpdWm6YUikZz7UWow/s320/%CE%95%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%BF%CC%81%CE%BD%CE%B117.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Training of Samos Muscat vines <br />(Source: samoswine.gr)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><b>Samos Wines</b></div><div>The sweet rich wines from Muscat Blanc á Petits Grains are among Greece's most famous, exported as they are around the world. These wines are produced centrally in the two UWC Samos wineries located in Malagari and Karlovasi, respectively. Karlovasi produces wine from grapes grown in the northern part of the island while the Malagari winery services the grapes grown elsewhere. The Malagari site also serves as the home of the Samos Wine Museum.</div><div><br /></div><div>UWC of Samos produces around 5 million liters of wine annually with 70% of the production exported to 25 countries. Ninety-eight percent of the wine produced is white with the remainder reds from varieties including Ritino, Fakiano, and Avgoustiatis. The sweet wines produced by the Coopp are illustrated in the chart below.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ98o_FXDiu19KDwj8V22VClaDlcHKbJHKB_m60vAdgtbiodp6vtGTcQIsMQUeyuepLDl8NOAwPqJLs4F4iitmBenLXvWtyh06jNA4yy-I7YoeL79x2qFG8hQFhqVNSTeUoRohHmXiCIcddIFrvejinnckGUymKzFYvDa42yOQxW9ewYnuNzgEMhTLMoA/s1888/fullsizeoutput_165.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="990" data-original-width="1888" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ98o_FXDiu19KDwj8V22VClaDlcHKbJHKB_m60vAdgtbiodp6vtGTcQIsMQUeyuepLDl8NOAwPqJLs4F4iitmBenLXvWtyh06jNA4yy-I7YoeL79x2qFG8hQFhqVNSTeUoRohHmXiCIcddIFrvejinnckGUymKzFYvDa42yOQxW9ewYnuNzgEMhTLMoA/s320/fullsizeoutput_165.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>The Coop does produce some dry wines (e.g., Samaina, a dry Rosé from two rare reds, and a Retsina) but they are less prominent.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Trends</b></div><div>Writing on Giannis Karakasis MW's Greek Wine Explained (10/28/20), Evangelie Kostaki noted a few key trends as regards Samos wine:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Between 2012 and 2020, a number of new wineries had "popped up" and the newer ones were run by "young people"</li><li>Creation of new wine styles</li><ul><li>Single-vineyard wines versus cross-island wines</li><ul><li>Muscat Nature Selection</li></ul><li>Dry wines</li><ul><li>Samos embracing the potential of producing quality dry wines from Muscat Blanc á Petits Grains</li></ul></ul><li>Vineyard changes</li><ul><li>Uproot vineyards in the plains</li><ul><li>Close to the sea</li><li>Diseases tend to flourish due to high humidity</li><li>Heavy, fertile soil with high water-holding capacity not ideal for highest quality wines</li></ul><li>Plantings sporadically increasing in semi-mountainous areas</li><ul><li>Better aeration</li><li>Large diurnal range</li><li>Sufficient ripening.</li></ul></ul></ul></div><div><br /></div>©Wine -- <i>Mise en abyme</i>wineORLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06163150468541915038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080161909822087430.post-27835811524861820892023-07-20T03:56:00.002-04:002023-07-20T08:50:48.667-04:00Fonterenza (Sant'Angelo in Colle, Montalcino, Tuscany): Wines and winemaking<div>Fonterenza is located in Sant’Antimo in Colle, southeast of the town of Montalcino, where they planted their first vines in 1999. In addition to the vines on Montalcino, the sisters have been purchasing grapes from old vineyards on Mt Amiata and recently invested in their own vineyard on the mountain. In my most recent post I discussed the physical environment of the Fonterenza estate. In this post I round out the picture of the enterprise by describing its winemaking practices and wines.</div><div><br /></div><div>Fonterenza produces eight wines (shown below): three whites, one Rosato, and four reds.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY3KIp-QiebqVega-04T0omroQVdnLMAfsc-EibMa93T4iW0TS-qo24byG6kuKRLzpkaJYZMlkTIeRkms7z88ZbTW1wPY8mq61DLgkkLWULbmU24G5NeSP88UXigYRHGSFheJetHhbtoitJrqOQdGMRyiIFjGOnW1mxomA5GchulG4SLjubW-bMAo1IiQ/s2048/18DE6469-7739-40DE-B2A0-FF3E514586E3.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY3KIp-QiebqVega-04T0omroQVdnLMAfsc-EibMa93T4iW0TS-qo24byG6kuKRLzpkaJYZMlkTIeRkms7z88ZbTW1wPY8mq61DLgkkLWULbmU24G5NeSP88UXigYRHGSFheJetHhbtoitJrqOQdGMRyiIFjGOnW1mxomA5GchulG4SLjubW-bMAo1IiQ/s320/18DE6469-7739-40DE-B2A0-FF3E514586E3.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>White Wines</b></div><div>All of the Fonterenza white wines are made with some degree of skin contact and all are IGT. The Bianco IGT is a blend of Ansonica, Trebbiano, Malvasia Toscana, and Malvasia di Candia sourced from a vineyard -- La Casa -- located in Capalbio on the Tuscan coast. The organically farmed, 60-year-old vines are co-planted in sandy, iron-rich soils. The first vintage of this wine was in 2018.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Le Ragazze is a 50/50 blend of Vermentino and Malvasia Toscana made from organically farmed Mt Amiata grapes.</div><div><br /></div><div>Biancospino is a Trebbiano varietal made with biodynamic fruit grown in the Casale Vineyard in Poggibonsi. Future plans call for the fruit to be sourced from the <a href="https://mowse.blogspot.com/2023/07/is-fonterenza-tuscanys-best-kept-secret.html">Ciliegi Vineyard</a> on Mt Amiata.</div><div><br /></div><div>Grapes for the white wines are hand-harvested, destemmed (partially, in the case of the Bianco), and gently pressed. The must is fermented spontaneously in stainless steel tanks (Bianco and Biancospino) and open vats (Le Ragazze) with no sulfur added. In the case of the Bianco, the must is a mix of whole cluster and destemmed fruit. The Bianco is macerated for 2 - 6 days and the Le Ragazze and Biancospino for 30 days each.</div><div><br /></div><div>The aging regime for the wines are as follows:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Bianco -- mix of old oak and cement</li><li>Le Ragazze -- mix of tonneau, acacia barriques, terracotta, and steel tanks</li><li>Biancospino -- 12 months in old oak.</li></ul></div><div>The wines are all bottled without filtration.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Rosato</b></div><div>The Rosato is made from Sangiovese grapes sourced fro each of the estate's <a href="https://mowse.blogspot.com/2023/07/is-fonterenza-tuscanys-best-kept-secret.html">Montalcino vineyards</a>. The wine is fermented by indigenous yeasts and remains on the skins for 20 hours. The wine is aged for 7 months in acacia barriques.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Red Wines</b></div><div>The red wines are all 100% Sangiovese (with the exception of Pettirosso, a blend of Sangiovese and Ciliegiolo) made with grapes sourced from the estate's Montalcino vineyards (except Pettirosso, the sourcing of which is illustrated in the chart below).</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMY3-SP_7EGfhoCPe6Nc3LUOgLHEfIy7J5K2nf8RXRZdbVDpLcsKpbm0sY4aa_W5u0NE59--4tt-gw6ypLJKP8UK6lUae_ZJPhRjEbSfSkrvw8zjsKBYMSLGZ4q1h5NA4Ipu0me3fQUO4qExxBtaOPKlWDLyaYEjpho2Ik-B6VGI98YPOVfIUXX7EtNb4/s1145/Screen%20Shot%202023-07-20%20at%203.13.54%20AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="774" data-original-width="1145" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMY3-SP_7EGfhoCPe6Nc3LUOgLHEfIy7J5K2nf8RXRZdbVDpLcsKpbm0sY4aa_W5u0NE59--4tt-gw6ypLJKP8UK6lUae_ZJPhRjEbSfSkrvw8zjsKBYMSLGZ4q1h5NA4Ipu0me3fQUO4qExxBtaOPKlWDLyaYEjpho2Ik-B6VGI98YPOVfIUXX7EtNb4/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-07-20%20at%203.13.54%20AM.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>The Albarello grapes contributed to the Rosso di Montalcino until the decision was made to begin bottling the wine separately beginning in 2015.</div><div><br /></div><div>The grapes for all of the Montalcino-based red wines are hand-harvested, with the Brunello di Montalcino taken in multiple passes. Once in the cellar, the grapes are destemmed and fermentation is initiated. The grapes are fermented spontaneously without temperature control, oenological products, or chemical/physical treatments. A variety of cap management techniques -- to include pumping over, delestage, manual punch downs, and submerged cap -- are employed. The grapes from the various Rosso di Montalcino vineyards are vinified separately but blended prior to aging. </div><div><br /></div><div>The fermentation and aging regimes are summarized below.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtL2vI77S59K0OSFjuvRslXnCHFqbikXtmxZ4haZERiam5H5QRqNWN6jXkLm40nie60YeN3YknhiDnaOV3oyyM_U1JOXtCJFDXnS9NswHEj2T6kQA4GJqBYCVtE9M5-Q1Y6NgQeWI6UU7gAVgn5SNeCMYxW-UDLv1zSRBKE013L_7HlpcC7b4N4mz8wRY/s945/Screen%20Shot%202023-07-20%20at%203.47.40%20AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="273" data-original-width="945" height="92" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtL2vI77S59K0OSFjuvRslXnCHFqbikXtmxZ4haZERiam5H5QRqNWN6jXkLm40nie60YeN3YknhiDnaOV3oyyM_U1JOXtCJFDXnS9NswHEj2T6kQA4GJqBYCVtE9M5-Q1Y6NgQeWI6UU7gAVgn5SNeCMYxW-UDLv1zSRBKE013L_7HlpcC7b4N4mz8wRY/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-07-20%20at%203.47.40%20AM.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>**********************************************************************************************************</div><div><div>The estate avers that its winemaking approach "preserves the characteristics of the vintage and express our terroir to the fullest." </div><div><br /></div><div>The diverse range of wines showcase the estate's versatility and dedication to expressing the unique characteristic of each variety and vineyard. From the skin-contact for the whites, to the lack of additives during the fermentation process, the estate demonstrates its commitment to minimal intervention to natural processes and minimal intervention</div><div><br /></div></div>©Wine -- <i>Mise en abyme</i>wineORLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06163150468541915038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080161909822087430.post-31379916252191191172023-07-16T17:17:00.002-04:002023-07-20T00:45:20.682-04:00Is Fonterenza Tuscany's best kept secret?<div>I love both the story and the wines of Montalcino so whenever I get a recommendation of a must-try Brunello, I jump at it. Such was the case for the 2016 Fonterenza Brunello di Montalcino and I share my learnings about this wine in this post.</div><div><br /></div><div>Fonterenza was founded in 1997 by Margherita Padovani and she was joined shortly thereafter by her twin sister Francesca. Neither of the sisters had any grape-growing or winemaking experience but the family owned property in Poggio San Polo, southeast of the town of Montalcino, and they planted their first vines here in 1999. In addition to the vines on Montalcino, the sisters have been purchasing grapes from old vineyards on Mt Amiata and recently invested in their own vineyard on the mountain. The chart below shows the properties from which the sisters source the grapes for their wines.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS-IzP-pGZmxqRPVk1Yoq5-GNAV6tyvj9rgh2oY290Mh3SnMyI4f4vHauVvobYwBNTwKdYtFGCELxnQYKg3RT6Hjd65fiwWo6UfUg7PCkppTuY9eUcnBmrmnNrebRfS9-1VezD2XRXJztM1inE4g_33SnLhNg7oLT0-4hY_SpWM4Tt0R-BJmPQN81ef9M/s1920/Fonterenza.001.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS-IzP-pGZmxqRPVk1Yoq5-GNAV6tyvj9rgh2oY290Mh3SnMyI4f4vHauVvobYwBNTwKdYtFGCELxnQYKg3RT6Hjd65fiwWo6UfUg7PCkppTuY9eUcnBmrmnNrebRfS9-1VezD2XRXJztM1inE4g_33SnLhNg7oLT0-4hY_SpWM4Tt0R-BJmPQN81ef9M/s320/Fonterenza.001.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>The Montalcino vineyards are located at elevations ranging between 420 and 450 m and are situated at the meeting point of the sea winds coming from the southwest and the cool currents from the north and northeast. The vines are protected from inclement weather by a combination of Mt Amiata and the forest surrounding the vineyard.</div><div><br /></div><div>Early on in the process the sisters decided to pursue a minimal-intervention approach in their winemaking venture. That is represented in the vineyard by a biodynamic certification. All work in the vineyard is done by hand and diseases are treated with low doses of copper and sulfur and biodynamic solutions.</div><div><br /></div><div>On the winemaking front, grapes are de-stemmed and vinified separately, depending on the source vineyard and intended wine type. Wines are fermented spontaneously in oak vats, 10-year-old tubs, or concrete tanks with no additives. Aging is conducted in large oak vats, oak barrels or cement tanks,</div><div><br /></div><div>I tasted the 2016 edition of the winery's Brunello di Montalcino. This wine was introduced to me by one of my retailers who described the estate as "perhaps Tuscany's best kept secret."</div><div><br /></div><div>The source vineyard for the wine is shown in the chart above. This wine was macerated for 20 - 30 days and was aged for 47 months in 20- to 50-hl vats. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhspAOP3zWf-gbv6iJhvW89P22AhJPVA2Pzo7FyButn43aT-Zv7EKHlMtCdfPFfcMf5SSTZ1JAf24Py2859cwvYF9d4xCA1lcUgZ8ke94rmfDwtAB8VdiY5ApUHcrUlfOpBjKwUXCSyNcAscMqm_dhlqd11fVPK7dhPF0Rn8nugmRJe8Rigt-vikL3mWrc/s4032/IMG_7188.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhspAOP3zWf-gbv6iJhvW89P22AhJPVA2Pzo7FyButn43aT-Zv7EKHlMtCdfPFfcMf5SSTZ1JAf24Py2859cwvYF9d4xCA1lcUgZ8ke94rmfDwtAB8VdiY5ApUHcrUlfOpBjKwUXCSyNcAscMqm_dhlqd11fVPK7dhPF0Rn8nugmRJe8Rigt-vikL3mWrc/s320/IMG_7188.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div>The wine was superb. A highly perfumed nose with ripe dark fruit, sage, underbrush, an intense and persistent beeswax, and pepper spice on the nose. It flowed beautifully over the palate. Balanced, with a rust character and a slatey minerality. Medium weight with a metallic finish which evolves to a dried tamarind over time. A beaut.</div><div>*********************************************************************************************************</div><div>I will cover the wines and winemaking of the estate in a subsequent post.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>©Wine -- <i>Mise en abyme</i>wineORLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06163150468541915038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080161909822087430.post-34141444379114060612023-07-05T22:48:00.006-04:002023-07-05T23:27:09.024-04:00Grapevine diversification in Europe after the Western Asia domestication event<div>At this point, we know that there were <a href="https://mowse.blogspot.com/2023/05/the-case-for-dual-domestication-of.html">two simultaneous domestications</a> of <i>vitis sylvestris</i> approximately 11,000 years ago. We also know, based on the Dong, <i>et al</i>., study, that the Caucasian domesticate was not the <a href="https://mowse.blogspot.com/2023/06/georgia-is-not-source-of-all-european.html">mother of all European grapevines</a>, being, instead, "a local effort confined to both sides of the Caucasian Mountains." We also know that the Syl-W ecotype of <i>vitis sylvestris</i> <a href="https://mowse.blogspot.com/2023/05/rewriting-story-of-ancient-grapes.html">occupied ecological niches in Europe</a> proper. </div><div><br /></div><div>Give the foregoing, Dong, <i>et al</i>., needed to explore: (i) the diversification history of European wine grapevines and (ii) "when and how distinct grapevine ancestors formed in Europe with relevance to Syl-W introgressions." In this post I highlight the methodologies utilized to answer those questions and present the results.</div><div><br /></div><div>The chart below illustrates the methodologies employed and selected results obtained.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK9lDI59Bnb94dN0HVDwWPAZXjNB4jfcFEqzg3JTksGp6WWlV3wBlSvRcBCkyZbXm4gdGSavOcKFA0oEd2uLiNiA_c1FMHCTqQssVwmP7eKpwSGDKHsLMofQYRHWv6VXepYv9duG7ekUXQ0aycB9Mx8BTPrVEO4ihXsQEfz_5EDxw5GUZZyFPl8s5-pa4/s1867/fullsizeoutput_164.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="970" data-original-width="1867" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK9lDI59Bnb94dN0HVDwWPAZXjNB4jfcFEqzg3JTksGp6WWlV3wBlSvRcBCkyZbXm4gdGSavOcKFA0oEd2uLiNiA_c1FMHCTqQssVwmP7eKpwSGDKHsLMofQYRHWv6VXepYv9duG7ekUXQ0aycB9Mx8BTPrVEO4ihXsQEfz_5EDxw5GUZZyFPl8s5-pa4/s320/fullsizeoutput_164.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>The first observation coming out of the TreeMix analysis is evidence of a Syl-W introgression earlier than the occurrence of the Muscat split. The fingerprint of this introgression is present in all further splits. The study team screened the introgression tracts in CG3 to CG6 and found that 10 shared regions among these groups "contain genes that are involved in plant immunity, abiotic stress response and carbohydrate metabolism." This supports the position, according to the authors, that "introgression helps grapevines adapt to new environments and become more suitable for winemaking."</div><div><br /></div><div>The Muscat split occurred within 500 years of the domestication event, suggesting that it took place within the confines of Western Asia. This split supported grapes for both consumption and winemaking. The modern-day characteristics of selected elements of the Muscat family are illustrated in the chart below.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoiky70RqQD6xHKVm3N5hYVV9hfaG-wgSVs5IcUFvucxU2ne9y_VO2q2sxZ-DRlFoVHU5tn6xI6R-zjtzPhblhqkPy_qddnJIFNes09xd12N-ooY2SfmEte5fqf7tQlgjnYilQiCpOexcss0Ijf-AVWnI9WkjijpHwE19Ka8kUMPMBD98QjveIz-cGwVg/s1920/Muscat.001.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoiky70RqQD6xHKVm3N5hYVV9hfaG-wgSVs5IcUFvucxU2ne9y_VO2q2sxZ-DRlFoVHU5tn6xI6R-zjtzPhblhqkPy_qddnJIFNes09xd12N-ooY2SfmEte5fqf7tQlgjnYilQiCpOexcss0Ijf-AVWnI9WkjijpHwE19Ka8kUMPMBD98QjveIz-cGwVg/s320/Muscat.001.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>Post the Muscat split, "... unique ancestries emerged in the Balkans, Iberia, and Western Europe with the help of <i>V. sylvestris</i> introgressions into CG1."</div><div><br /></div><div>***********************************************************************************************************</div><div>How did the cultivars identified above make their way to Europe? I will answer that question in the next installment in this series.</div><div><br /></div>©Wine -- <i>Mise en abyme</i>wineORLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06163150468541915038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080161909822087430.post-42254411224791834032023-06-24T17:51:00.001-04:002023-06-24T17:51:50.032-04:00The Natufians: The culture most likely to have domesticated vitis sylvestris<div>Given the location (The Levant) and timing (11,000 years ago) espoused in the Dong, <i>et al</i>., study, it is most likely the Natufian Culture that domesticated the progenitor of the major European wine grape varieties.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk-WRcoJd7vQRnM6DmgiIcNWvcAvnPWTq9VyNqfl7w1k1FB4GA6sskSArtOsx6tSKmRnfnYRTCAwZ5Um6z-0BSzDVdWMqLY7LGK_c7UEs4dIMzgQu0oPT-2gVoo5KY2AUN_Mf15hh6saogwjoewleW3mhb6Qryy58u6D3H5Ksb4ZowokDPitgWaI3fPQw/s1542/fullsizeoutput_163.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="537" data-original-width="1542" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk-WRcoJd7vQRnM6DmgiIcNWvcAvnPWTq9VyNqfl7w1k1FB4GA6sskSArtOsx6tSKmRnfnYRTCAwZ5Um6z-0BSzDVdWMqLY7LGK_c7UEs4dIMzgQu0oPT-2gVoo5KY2AUN_Mf15hh6saogwjoewleW3mhb6Qryy58u6D3H5Ksb4ZowokDPitgWaI3fPQw/s320/fullsizeoutput_163.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>Prior to Dong, <i>et al</i>., the commonly held belief was that <i>vitis vinifera</i> sprung from a Neolithic Age, Caucasus-region domestication of the wild <i>vitis sylvestris</i>. The Dong, <i>et al</i>., genetic study has shown otherwise.</div><div><br /></div><div>In previous posts I have reported on the <a href="https://mowse.blogspot.com/2023/04/upending-story-of-ancient-grapes.html">genesis of the study</a>, <a href="https://mowse.blogspot.com/2023/05/rewriting-story-of-ancient-grapes.html">the <i>vitis sylvestris</i> story</a>, how Dong, <i>et al</i>., <a href="https://mowse.blogspot.com/2023/05/rewriting-story-of-ancient-grapes.html">established genetic populations</a>, the study team’s case for <a href="https://mowse.blogspot.com/2023/05/domestication-drivers-in-first.html">two simultaneous domestication events</a>, the <a href="https://mowse.blogspot.com/2023/05/domestication-drivers-in-first.html">genetic traits</a> associated with the individual domestication centers, <a href="https://mowse.blogspot.com/2023/06/georgia-is-not-source-of-all-european.html">the Levant as the domestication center from which all European grapes originated</a>, and <a href="https://mowse.blogspot.com/2023/06/the-domestication-of-vitis-vinifera.html">the physical environment</a> in the Levant at the time of the domestication. In this post I highlight the Culture (most likely) responsible for domesticating the Levantine <i>vitis sylvestris</i>.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Kebaran Culture</b></div><div>Since 14,500 BP, people have occupied every eco-zone in the Near East and semi-sedentism was already a settlement pattern among foragers (Bar-Yosef). The inhabitants of the Levant at this stage were of the Kebaran culture and excavations at the Ohalo II site illustrates the settlement-pattern point while also providing the earliest evidence of grape usage within the region.</div><div><br /></div><div>In the Fall of 1989, the Sea of Galilee dropped to unusually low levels, revealing a submerged prehistoric site several meters away from the shore. The site -- Ohalo II -- included scattered artifacts and remains of huts, hearths, and graves with <i>in-situ</i> Kebaran remains (Kislev, <i>et al</i>.).</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9-Iqq2xn_Qf1BTXwSemoU0dhvctNMDPfcJIKU6y7KTOsVQPJA1EFy0VZaFaM8qkkuSZuHycJDutGpDsT5yRwZOttbuKPCdrZJJLHV6GUuUCRmF9rkxOGRDdZq7VLyJCRqLsgHr_b4dI36jvoOX_MARsl-c2Ya6Q301LOx1xTDhydtSCs8R9XrqR622Hk/s850/IMG_6978.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="419" data-original-width="850" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9-Iqq2xn_Qf1BTXwSemoU0dhvctNMDPfcJIKU6y7KTOsVQPJA1EFy0VZaFaM8qkkuSZuHycJDutGpDsT5yRwZOttbuKPCdrZJJLHV6GUuUCRmF9rkxOGRDdZq7VLyJCRqLsgHr_b4dI36jvoOX_MARsl-c2Ya6Q301LOx1xTDhydtSCs8R9XrqR622Hk/s320/IMG_6978.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1. Ohalo II site at shoreline of Sea of Galilee<br />(Source: Kislev, <i>et al</i>.)</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>Table 1. Materials excavated from Ohalo II.</div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="t1" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><tbody><tr><td class="td1" style="background-color: #bec0bf; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; height: 14px; padding: 4px; width: 147px;" valign="top"><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><b>Tools</b></span></p></td><td class="td1" style="background-color: #bec0bf; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; height: 14px; padding: 4px; width: 147px;" valign="top"><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><b>Animal Remains</b></span></p></td><td class="td1" style="background-color: #bec0bf; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; height: 14px; padding: 4px; width: 147px;" valign="top"><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><b>Vegetal Remains</b></span></p></td></tr><tr><td class="td2" style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; height: 14px; padding: 4px; width: 147px;" valign="top"><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;">Typical flint tools</span></p></td><td class="td2" style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; height: 14px; padding: 4px; width: 147px;" valign="top"><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;">Fish<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p></td><td class="td2" style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; height: 14px; padding: 4px; width: 147px;" valign="top"><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;">Wild barley (most prevalent</span></p></td></tr><tr><td class="td3" style="background-color: #efefef; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; height: 14px; padding: 4px; width: 147px;" valign="top"><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;">Bone tools</span></p></td><td class="td3" style="background-color: #efefef; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; height: 14px; padding: 4px; width: 147px;" valign="top"><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;">Tortoise</span></p></td><td class="td3" style="background-color: #efefef; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; height: 14px; padding: 4px; width: 147px;" valign="top"><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;">Wild emmer wheat</span></p></td></tr><tr><td class="td4" style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; height: 13px; padding: 4px; width: 147px;" valign="top"><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;">Mediterranean shell beads</span></p></td><td class="td4" style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; height: 13px; padding: 4px; width: 147px;" valign="top"><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;">Birds</span></p></td><td class="td4" style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; height: 13px; padding: 4px; width: 147px;" valign="top"><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;">Wild almonds</span></p></td></tr><tr><td class="td3" style="background-color: #efefef; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; height: 14px; padding: 4px; width: 147px;" valign="top"><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p></td><td class="td3" style="background-color: #efefef; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; height: 14px; padding: 4px; width: 147px;" valign="top"><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;">Hare</span></p></td><td class="td3" style="background-color: #efefef; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; height: 14px; padding: 4px; width: 147px;" valign="top"><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;">Wild olive</span></p></td></tr><tr><td class="td2" style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; height: 14px; padding: 4px; width: 147px;" valign="top"><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p></td><td class="td2" style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; height: 14px; padding: 4px; width: 147px;" valign="top"><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;">Fox</span></p></td><td class="td2" style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; height: 14px; padding: 4px; width: 147px;" valign="top"><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;">Wild pistachio</span></p></td></tr><tr><td class="td3" style="background-color: #efefef; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; height: 14px; padding: 4px; width: 147px;" valign="top"><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p></td><td class="td3" style="background-color: #efefef; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; height: 14px; padding: 4px; width: 147px;" valign="top"><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;">Gazelle</span></p></td><td class="td3" style="background-color: #efefef; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; height: 14px; padding: 4px; width: 147px;" valign="top"><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;">Wild grape seeds</span></p></td></tr><tr><td class="td4" style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; height: 13px; padding: 4px; width: 147px;" valign="top"><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p></td><td class="td4" style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; height: 13px; padding: 4px; width: 147px;" valign="top"><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;">Deer</span></p></td><td class="td4" style="border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; height: 13px; padding: 4px; width: 147px;" valign="top"><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /></div><div>A picture of one of the excavated grape pips is shown below. These seeds were identified as belonging to the wild type by the low length/breadth ratio and the short beak. This is the first evidence of wild grapes in Israel.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYykGgQbz7Skl9gZekfx4UNexjuksPmobYseleWV1aZ9j4TS4RvYhk_jsn_Bl7u4Qht738PGNEheETbFsnO5AeptNtcoavcEhuHLh7Sbm9XBYkBKpO98ckF-2Q7z27Z3D0R2O5TRaOuJXc9tvIbut6nDiwFgRJY_AVhynQ8ICTtXfUNjd8iA_QVInMOy8/s724/IMG_6977.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="724" data-original-width="535" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYykGgQbz7Skl9gZekfx4UNexjuksPmobYseleWV1aZ9j4TS4RvYhk_jsn_Bl7u4Qht738PGNEheETbFsnO5AeptNtcoavcEhuHLh7Sbm9XBYkBKpO98ckF-2Q7z27Z3D0R2O5TRaOuJXc9tvIbut6nDiwFgRJY_AVhynQ8ICTtXfUNjd8iA_QVInMOy8/s320/IMG_6977.jpeg" width="236" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 2. Grape pip excavated at <br />Ohalo II (Source: Kislev, <i>et al</i>.)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>According to Kislev, <i>et al</i>., the food remains at Ohalo II "indicate a wide range of plant and animal species used for human consumption. This diversity attests to the broad spectrum economy practiced by the Kebarans."</div><div><br /></div><div>The team deduced that the site was occupied at least twice a year and assumed an alignment with grass-grain harvesting in Spring and fruit gathering in the late Summer and Fall. The authors characterize thia as a "logistical mobility settlement-subsistence pattern" where "small task-specific expeditions are sent to retrieve food and other resources while the core group remains at one place." The bi-seasonality of plant food use in the same site "can be interpreted as the initial steps towards sedentism and cereal agriculture."</div><div><br /></div><div>The Kebaran culture (20,000 - 14,500 BP) was, due to the overarching cold, limited to the coastal Levant and isolated oases. The Geometric Kebaran took advantage of climate amelioration to expand into the formerly desertic belt which had become "a lusher steppe" (Bar-Yosef).</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Natufian Culture</b></div><div>The Levant was subjected to an abrupt, short, cold crisis around 13,000 BP followed by a period of increased precipitation and warming. This improvement in climate led to an expansion in parkland and woodland and associated food resources. It was in this environment that the Natufian Culture began to gain prominence. Arriving on the scene initially as foragers, the continually improving climate led them to become sedentary -- due to plentitude of food resources -- and establish "a series of Early Natufian hamlets in a delineated homeland." The major characteristics of the Natufian Culture are illustrated in the chart below.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Xht78BHT7ZP9XFNOdwFL3oCBs-ekl0G7ToRhBLEmPmalpIZz3itwDXXeG8C5g1FS9entGXrdxMVB3_ULtu8r5hL3awKKAibYZy7SabrpO45GwwUYoLV5XZ1HIhVuuqgpOCSpP3I5uWAr047-rwdiTsXh2PTW8nsXLxfc9czEQHOs68InIZMxGAeQZJg/s1559/fullsizeoutput_162.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1559" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Xht78BHT7ZP9XFNOdwFL3oCBs-ekl0G7ToRhBLEmPmalpIZz3itwDXXeG8C5g1FS9entGXrdxMVB3_ULtu8r5hL3awKKAibYZy7SabrpO45GwwUYoLV5XZ1HIhVuuqgpOCSpP3I5uWAr047-rwdiTsXh2PTW8nsXLxfc9czEQHOs68InIZMxGAeQZJg/s320/fullsizeoutput_162.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>As much of a boon that climate was to the Early Natufian culture, it was a bane in later days. The boon? "Natufian communities practiced intensive and extensive harvesting of wild cereals as part of an anticipated summer mobility pattern." The bane? The cold, dry climate associated with the Younger Dryas (12,800 BP - 11,600 BP) led to a rapid reduction in the size of the lushest vegetation belts and reduction in yields of natural stands of C3 plants such as cereals. This change in conditions led to changes in organizational strategies to include: reduced sedentism; shifts in settlement locations (abandonment of old sites and establishment of new sites in the steppic zone); experimental plantings; and clearing of patches of land. During this period plant and animal resources were further depleted by the activities of neighboring foragers.</div><div><br /></div><div>According to Bar-Yosef, the increased population levels that had come with increased sedentism "made any short-term climatic change motivational for human groups to gain control over food resources." Thus, "the first experiments in systematic cultivation most likely occurred during the Younger Dryas."</div><div><br /></div><div>Keynes was not as supportive of the theory of the Natufians as the first agriculturists: "The older theory on the origins of agriculture that had become a consensus by the late 1980s held that the pressures of the Younger Dryas drove the Natufians to adopt agriculture as a survival strategy ... By the early 2010s, this hypothesis has been rejected by some archaeologists and historians, who see the Natufians of the Younger Dryas as in a transitional stage that was only moving towards agriculture, ... in which they experimented with wild plant cultivation."</div><div><br /></div><div>It should be pointed out that much of the foregoing discussion is based on domestication of wheat, legumes, etc., and does not involve grapevines. As a matter of fact, while we have evidence of grape consumption in the Kebaran culture, no grape residue has been recovered from any of the excavated Natufian sites in the Mediterranean due to the poor preservation of vegetal remains in the terra rossa soil.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>Whether or not the Natufians were the first agriculturists, or just experimenters, the genetic study conducted by Dong, <i>et al</i>., places the domestication of the grapevine squarely within their space-time; and we will run with that.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><u>Post-Younger-Dryas</u></div><div>There was rapid return of wetter weather post the Younger Dryas and this led to the expansion of numerous lakes and ponds and cultivation of annual crops along the shorelines. The first large villages began to appear (up to 2.5 ha) and they relied on cultivated barley and wheat or "their wild progenitors." According to Bar-Yosef, there is ample evidence to show that the inhabitants of these villages were descendants of local Natufian populations with changes in material culture, social organization, and daily lifeways. "The first manifestation of the cultural change that heralded the Neolithic Revolution is known in the Levant as the Khiamian."</div><div><div><br /></div></div><div>Neolithic farming communities thrived under the favorable climate conditions of the Early Holocene and expanded "along the Levantine Corridor into Anatolia and neighboring regions." This, then, was the first movement of the cultivated grapevine outside of its birthplace. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge0xsmWhEEHrsoBDbNl4Ztj7BEdFoKKTUAUSYn8_zp-fgF8edL2TtjODWYxYs07m-PDd84FYi-ret7Fct5A--H7z1OFeirlB01Wp5bJQVb9CI_zbl9mmBRXIwga0U0j2_ktFl-WqdBsHqTKixzQyql6pUZ4Ps9svGmvfmTnRu4GNw26ak3uV9dpMNLI30/s743/Screen%20Shot%202023-06-24%20at%205.33.55%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="743" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge0xsmWhEEHrsoBDbNl4Ztj7BEdFoKKTUAUSYn8_zp-fgF8edL2TtjODWYxYs07m-PDd84FYi-ret7Fct5A--H7z1OFeirlB01Wp5bJQVb9CI_zbl9mmBRXIwga0U0j2_ktFl-WqdBsHqTKixzQyql6pUZ4Ps9svGmvfmTnRu4GNw26ak3uV9dpMNLI30/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-06-24%20at%205.33.55%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The initial movement of the cultivated grapevine<br /> from the Western Distribution Center (black oval)<br />into Anatolia (red arrow) with the expanding <br />Neolithic farming communities.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>I will cover that movement more fully in subsequent posts.</div><div><br /></div><div><div><b>Bibliography</b></div><div>Bar-Yosef, O., The Natufian Culture in the Levant, Threshold to the Origins of Agriculture, Evolutionary Anthropology.</div><div>Bar-Yosef, O., and F. Valla, The Natufian Culture and the Origin of the Neolithic in the Levant. Current Anthropology 31(4) January.</div></div><div>Dong, <i>et al</i>., Dual domestications and origin of traits in grapevine evolution, Science, 3/3/23</div><div>EurekAlert, Human Mobility and Western Asia's early state-level societies, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, 5/28/20.M. E> Kislev, D. Nadel and I. Carmi, Epipalaeolithic (19,000 BP) cereal and fruit diet at Ohalo II, Sea of Galilee, Israel. Review of Palaeobotant and Palynology, 73 (1992): 161 - 166.</div><div>Lord Keynes, The Natufians and the Origins of Agriculture in the ancient Near East, heterodox.economicblogs.org, July 31, 2017.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>©Wine -- <i>Mise en abyme</i>wineORLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06163150468541915038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080161909822087430.post-3353092349040397402023-06-10T20:12:00.005-04:002023-06-24T14:47:11.171-04:00The domestication of vitis vinifera: The physical environment<div>According to Dong, <i>et al</i>., t<a href="https://mowse.blogspot.com/2023/05/the-case-for-dual-domestication-of.html">wo variants of the wild grape vitis sylvestris were simultaneously domesticated</a> in the Caucasus and Western Asia resulting in two variants of <i>vitis vinifera</i>. The Caucasus-sourced <i>vitis vinifera</i> <a href="https://mowse.blogspot.com/2023/06/georgia-is-not-source-of-all-european.html">flourished on both sides of the Caucasus Mountains</a>, and even extended into the Carpathian Basin, but had no impact beyond this limited geographical area. The Western Asia domesticate, by a process of elimination, must be the source variety for the bulk of the world's wine grapes. I will explore the environment wherein this variety was domesticated as well as the people who most likely brought <i>sylvestris</i> to heel. I examine the physical environment in this post.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Vitis sylvestris</i> was domesticated in the early part of the Holocene. The physical environment in Western Asia during this time period is illustrated in the chart below.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4wl_XJM1Gm00E41-tvbRS4PZj0J1JhML7AOoIpKF3x9oC8jg174j3YH1KGzcA-HPQvWXXN-Dd8C-unIrtyDqmbDCkM19hHtZUqb0jfywQ8ktTr-FoQQ5gIqF9d_ekGHQHHPXy8P6974-lev-IdGQV8z-HqIqYGMLRZ2wDFjEMwIhPrila8V9I8IAs/s1910/fullsizeoutput_15e.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="516" data-original-width="1910" height="86" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4wl_XJM1Gm00E41-tvbRS4PZj0J1JhML7AOoIpKF3x9oC8jg174j3YH1KGzcA-HPQvWXXN-Dd8C-unIrtyDqmbDCkM19hHtZUqb0jfywQ8ktTr-FoQQ5gIqF9d_ekGHQHHPXy8P6974-lev-IdGQV8z-HqIqYGMLRZ2wDFjEMwIhPrila8V9I8IAs/s320/fullsizeoutput_15e.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>Dong, et al., did not specify the location of the domestication center within Western Asia but an eyeballing of their placement of the center on the map would seem to place it within the confines of the region called The Levant. The coverage of the Levant is illustrated in the rightmost map below and the blue arrow illustrates the relationship between that region and the Western Asia Domestication Center.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe0R84yAvlcybgCs_Drvihei5EwGbr0jk5SaqWCXNrhiX7kqbDseBwPN6twZyVIE1sS6Vw16kV_nk1gOX97y9Y02FxvHnWkZOKGLuLST12He9HXUW5XetjqREApjyoFacN-nyBLQTGEmRXL0oy7vc9AuiKD7F7C21VCS1kHANXuQEfnbWgoQUNfmKu/s1471/fullsizeoutput_15f.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="856" data-original-width="1471" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe0R84yAvlcybgCs_Drvihei5EwGbr0jk5SaqWCXNrhiX7kqbDseBwPN6twZyVIE1sS6Vw16kV_nk1gOX97y9Y02FxvHnWkZOKGLuLST12He9HXUW5XetjqREApjyoFacN-nyBLQTGEmRXL0oy7vc9AuiKD7F7C21VCS1kHANXuQEfnbWgoQUNfmKu/s320/fullsizeoutput_15f.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>According to Bar-Yosef and Valla, "lines of evidence demonstrate that cold, wet conditions" dominated in The Levant in the late Pleistocene. This was followed by a dry spell in the transition period and a steady increase in arboreal pollen. An increase in humidity is observed for the in the Early Holocene "in the Middle Euphrates Valley in Northern Syria and from the Lower Jordan Valley" (Bar-Yosef and Valla). The paleoclimatic record shows the following (Bar-Yosef):</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Late Glacial Maximum (20,000 - 14,500 B.P.)</li><ul><li>Entire region cold and dry</li><li>Hilly coastal areas enjoyed winter precipitation and were covered by forests</li></ul><li>14,500 - 12,800 B.P.</li><ul><li>Precipitation slowly increased over the entire region beginning at 14,5000</li><li>More rapid increase from 13,500 B.P. to 13,000</li><li>Rate peaked around 13,500 in the southern Levant</li></ul><li>Younger Dryas (12,800 - 11,600 B.P.)</li><ul><li>Rate of rainfall decreased</li></ul><li>11,300 B.P.</li><ul><li>Increased rainfall returns</li><ul><li>Very wet early Holocene in the northern Levant and Anatolia</li><li>Did not reach the previous peak in central and southern Levant</li></ul></ul><li>Gradual rise in sea level</li><ul><li>Post the Late Glacial Maximum and until the mid-Holocene</li><li>Reduced the flat, sandy coastal plain of the Levant by a stretch 5 - 20 km wide and 500 km long.</li></ul></ul></div><div>During the Holocene, The Levant was characterized by a variety of landscapes running between the southern flanks of the Taurus Mountains of Turkey and the Sinai Peninsula:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Narrow coastal plains</li><li>Two parallel continuous mountain ranges with a rift valley in between</li><li>An eastward-sloping plateau dissected by many eastward-running ravines.</li></ul></div><div>There was marked seasonality, with cold, rainy winters and hot, dry summers being the norm. Two annual patterns of winter storm tracks were observed:</div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Humidity from the Mediterranean flowed to the southern Levant</li><li>Storms arrive from northern Europe and turn to the northern Levant.</li></ol></div><div>There were three vegetational zones (Bar-Yosef):</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Where annual precipitation exceeded 400 mm/year, Mediterranean woodland and open parkland </li><ul><li>Oak-dominated parkland and woodland provided the"highest biomass of food available to humans." Dense oak forests (> 800 mm/year rainfall) maintain a lower biomass than the open parklands</li></ul><li>Where precipitation was < 400 mm/year, shrub land and steppic vegetation </li><li>Arid-type vegetation.</li></ul></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Effect of the Physical Environment on <i>Vitis Sylvestris</i>/<i>Vitis Vinifera</i></b></div><div>Environmental conditions have marked effects on grape development today and it is quite likely that grapes reacted similarly in times past. It is likely that <i>vitis sylvestris</i> exhibited different characteristics in the cold of the Pleistocene than did <i>vitis vinifera</i> in the warming period of the Early Holocene. As a matter of fact, the last glacial cycle (115,000 - 11,700 years ago) was the scene of one of the most severe <i>vitis sylvestris</i> bottlenecks, driving worldwide population down to between 10,000 and 40,000 vines.</div><div><br /></div><div>The warming period began with the retreat of the glaciers and the changes in the physical environment highlighted in map 1 above. Just the mere fact of the warming would have positive effects on the grapevine and its product. Warmer temperatures would lead to riper, more palatable grapes (Remember that grapes in this early period were used as a food source as opposed to a beverage.). This riper, more palatable fruit would stand in stark contrast to the potentially harder, greener product that would have been the norm in the colder, drier Pleistocene.</div><div><br /></div><div>Increased humidity would have led to more vigorous vines and plumper fruit. Grapes would not only be more palatable, they would also be more substantial.</div><div><br /></div><div>The forest expansion that resulted from the warming would have also been beneficial to <i>vitis vinifera</i>. The grapevine is a climber and more trees represented more growth/spread opportunities for the population. </div><div><br /></div><div>*********************************************************************************************************</div><div><br /></div><div>In my next post I will explore the culture that most likely domesticated the grapevine.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Bibliography</b></div><div>Bar-Yosef, O., The Natufian Culture in the Levant, Threshold to the Origins of Agriculture, Evolutionary Anthropology.</div><div>Bar-Yosef, O., and F. Valla, The Natufian Culture and the Origin of the Neolithic in the Levant. Current Anthropology 31(4) January.</div><div>humanpast.net, Food around 11,000 BC.</div><div><br /></div>©Wine -- <i>Mise en abyme</i>wineORLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06163150468541915038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080161909822087430.post-34181266004607800262023-06-05T08:05:00.002-04:002023-06-05T20:54:25.194-04:00Georgia is not the source of all European wine grape varieties; the Levant is<div>The commonly held belief was that the wild grapevine vitis sylvestris was domesticated at a single point and spread to the rest of the world therefrom. Researchers have named the single-domestication-point hypothesis the "Noah Hypothesis." The hypothesis is illustrated in the chart below where domestication candidate sites are identified and the onward distribution routes of <i>vitis vinifera </i>plotted.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-F0mIuJoTGol50XpBn2kF5ZZ0ZIXJSE36rtHYreRgnOTRx2MV8LCdj2U2r-whv9F0Yo05EAnG5-KqsAQ_tQg8nAXn4Sna6IFy8-Y7UFruEa2sLOn8RmN2tif4wEoqshptRHV_2gyfHxFYykfNO5r95x7YoYioECIfT0-O5nFCB570NolAsuZDw0b1/s1183/fullsizeoutput_15d.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1006" data-original-width="1183" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-F0mIuJoTGol50XpBn2kF5ZZ0ZIXJSE36rtHYreRgnOTRx2MV8LCdj2U2r-whv9F0Yo05EAnG5-KqsAQ_tQg8nAXn4Sna6IFy8-Y7UFruEa2sLOn8RmN2tif4wEoqshptRHV_2gyfHxFYykfNO5r95x7YoYioECIfT0-O5nFCB570NolAsuZDw0b1/s320/fullsizeoutput_15d.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>The <a href="https://mowse.blogspot.com/2023/05/the-case-for-dual-domestication-of.html">Dong, <i>et al</i>., study</a> refutes the origin component of the Noah Hypothesis and replaces it with a dual, simultaneous-domestication model.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4r7Y50gdH8Qxhe7RlDUYD9j2z38fC3fTVzim02AxGS4X-VleBJTwzTvUAsx9PzceM0BtTQc2UUxLC5kFVsV2CD-GCJGONXPlo5xPW8E9OHibUOWHmxXMZaDwLNVuGxZSpE6lDzrHCwKnt6rgTJlWLf0TeXf5H5zTyA3Iyn84d0Mx6vqYLjzkAXV70/s1016/Screen%20Shot%202023-05-24%20at%203.45.34%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="870" data-original-width="1016" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4r7Y50gdH8Qxhe7RlDUYD9j2z38fC3fTVzim02AxGS4X-VleBJTwzTvUAsx9PzceM0BtTQc2UUxLC5kFVsV2CD-GCJGONXPlo5xPW8E9OHibUOWHmxXMZaDwLNVuGxZSpE6lDzrHCwKnt6rgTJlWLf0TeXf5H5zTyA3Iyn84d0Mx6vqYLjzkAXV70/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-05-24%20at%203.45.34%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I now turn to the distribution aspect of the Noah Hypothesis. While the Dong, <i>et al</i>., study does provide for a domestication center in the Caucasus, the result was "... mainly confined to both sides of the Caucasus Mountains, with a limited dispersal into the Carpathian Basin by the northern Black Sea." According to the authors, "... CG2 (ed. The Caucasian domesticate) represents a local domestication effort that had a minor impact on grapevine domestication." The distribution path of CG2 is illustrated in the map below.</div><div><div><br /></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje-fddy9cU13WoxK34-Wu-1JoW1nikSfGeovy50DQiCiwhnOvvNwUTM5smhEXjxpFCHNkFieH8fjxTSW1-JYUOZK54_G3Vn01NCjKpkL61okN5JJDWkf2Qr7aMdUX34AoNJvd31_P9DYbXXwRpDEOEiW_8JEKgRSWqxq18NiO9IX5QsbMN9H3yuXtZ/s677/black-sea-1.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="402" data-original-width="677" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje-fddy9cU13WoxK34-Wu-1JoW1nikSfGeovy50DQiCiwhnOvvNwUTM5smhEXjxpFCHNkFieH8fjxTSW1-JYUOZK54_G3Vn01NCjKpkL61okN5JJDWkf2Qr7aMdUX34AoNJvd31_P9DYbXXwRpDEOEiW_8JEKgRSWqxq18NiO9IX5QsbMN9H3yuXtZ/s320/black-sea-1.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red oval approximates the Caucasus distribution center;<br />black arrow illustrates the range of the grapevine.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>If we take the Dong, <i>et al</i>., argument at face value, the mother of all grapevines originated in the Levant, the Western Asia Domestication Center illustrated above. I will delve further into the region and its inhabitants in upcoming posts. In future posts I will also trace the spread of grapevines ouward from this source point.</div><div><br /></div>©Wine -- <i>Mise en abyme</i>wineORLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06163150468541915038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080161909822087430.post-31647743669942879922023-05-24T22:21:00.004-04:002023-05-25T09:52:29.207-04:00Grapevine domestication: A tale of two centers and selected traits<div>Dong, <i>et al</i>., (Dual domestications and origin of traits in grapevine evolution, Science, 3/3/23) have postulated, based on their study results, a dual origin for <i>vitis vinifera</i> stemming from simultaneous domestications of distinct <i>vitis sylvestris</i> pairs in separate geographic regions. I have previously described <a href="https://mowse.blogspot.com/2023/04/upending-story-of-ancient-grapes.html">the study origin</a>, the <a href="https://mowse.blogspot.com/2023/05/rewriting-story-of-ancient-grapes.html">history of the progenitor species <i>vitis sylvestris</i></a>, and <a href="https://mowse.blogspot.com/2023/05/the-case-for-dual-domestication-of.html">the case for dual domestication</a>. In this post I will provide a contemporaneous look at the proposed domestication centers and identify traits selected during the grapevine cultivation process.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>The Domestication Centers</b></div><div>The figure below locates the Western Asia (Syl-E1 to CG1) and Caucasus (Syl-E2 to CG2) domestication centers. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNaDOIHODIBcIT37yXE-HILi8RP-IGT_NxaQ5mkJFUvMkz6LIcYruB0HT6tlsUzOC4cG01Jm77F9nqa1ChLxBmR5pDZbNpPSkFreR-ro7ZGhlDjx49ijH1w9Vfa9-MODvxP5Njg64MzBBHgc9XDf3PJIvB5slGzWVZoxLDsAFB75GGLXQBkJ3zEoVt/s1016/Screen%20Shot%202023-05-24%20at%203.45.34%20PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="870" data-original-width="1016" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNaDOIHODIBcIT37yXE-HILi8RP-IGT_NxaQ5mkJFUvMkz6LIcYruB0HT6tlsUzOC4cG01Jm77F9nqa1ChLxBmR5pDZbNpPSkFreR-ro7ZGhlDjx49ijH1w9Vfa9-MODvxP5Njg64MzBBHgc9XDf3PJIvB5slGzWVZoxLDsAFB75GGLXQBkJ3zEoVt/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-05-24%20at%203.45.34%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grape domestication centers (as per Dong, <i>et al</i>.)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>According to the authors, the dual domestications occurred 11,000 years ago. The Little Ice Age had ended by this time and the world was transitioning from the Pleistocene to the Holocene Epoch. </div><div><br /></div><div>The Western Asia physical environment was varied, inclusive of highlands, mountain ranges, fertile river valleys, and arid and semi-arid landscapes. Notable geographic features included the Taurus and Zagros Mountains, the Anatolian Plateau, the Levant, the Mesopotamian Plain, and the Jordan River Valley. The Caucasus had a similar distribution of environments but with more prominent mountain ranges. River valleys, such as those hosting the Aras and Kura Rivers, provided conditions suitable for early agricultural development.</div><div><br /></div><div>The populace of the two centers were mainly hunter-gatherers (hunting, fishing, and gathering), with some early agriculturists. Early farmers likely cultivated wheat, barley, legumes, and flax and domesticated animals such as goats, sheep, and cattle.</div><div><br /></div><div>It is believed that the Caucasus was inhabited by several indigenous groups but the demographic composition is difficult to determine with any precision. Western Asia, on the other hand, was home to some notable civilizations to include the Natufians (Levant) and the pre-pottery Neolithic cultures of Hassuna, Halaf, and Samarra (Mesopotamia).</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Domestication Intent and Thrusts</b></div><div>The authors investigated domestication signatures on the cultivars and found both shared and unique manifestations on the cultivars. Most of the shared signals are on chromosomes 2 and 17, "confirming previous findings that that the selection on flower sexual morphs (sex determination region, SDR), berry skin color (<i>VvMybA</i> gene cluster), and berry development (<i>SDH</i> gene cluster) were of great importance during grapevine domestication." The authors further identified shared domestication genes that possibly serve as foundations for grapevine growth, physiology, fruit set, and resistance to biotic/abiotic stress.</div><div><br /></div><div>The unique manifestations are exhibited in cases where "the same goals were advanced by using different aspects of common domestication traits." Some examples of the latter are as follows:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Improvement of berry palatability through the reduction of alkaloid biosynthesis (MecghR gene cluster in CG1 and TR2 and SSL gene clusters in CG2)</li><li>Enhancement of carbohydrate metabolism (SWEET17 in CG1 and PFKFB1 in CG2)</li><li>Perceived berry desirability (BEAT gene cluster for floral scent in CG1 and UFGT gene cluster for berry color in CG2)</li><li>Response to environmental stresses (UPL6 in CG1 and WAK in CG2).</li></ul></div><div><div>According to the authors, "... their findings suggest that the initial cultivations of CG1 and CG2 may have been to serve early humans' caloric and micronutrient needs." And such an observation fits with the economic environment described previously; that is, a landscape populated primarily by hunter-gatherers and fledgling agriculturists.</div><div><br /></div></div><div>In that both cultivars were domesticated as food sources, the selection of factors suitable for winemaking exhibited in CG2 "could have been serendipitous, and the practice of winemaking with CG2 ... possibly postdates grapevine domestication."</div><div><br /></div><div>In my next post I will examine the spread of these cultivars outward from their domestication centers.</div><div><br /></div>©Wine -- <i>Mise en abyme</i>wineORLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06163150468541915038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080161909822087430.post-14680061924854334012023-05-15T16:22:00.005-04:002023-05-16T06:20:12.269-04:00The case for dual domestication of vitis vinifera, as per Dong, et al.<div>The recent Dong, <i>et al</i>., study has upended the conventional wisdom of a single-point <i>vitis vinifera</i> domestication somewhere in the Caucasus over 8000 years ago. In a series reporting on the study, I have specified the <a href="https://mowse.blogspot.com/2023/04/upending-story-of-ancient-grapes.html">study origin</a> and the <a href="https://mowse.blogspot.com/2023/05/rewriting-story-of-ancient-grapes.html">history of <i>vitis sylvestris</i></a>, the accepted progenitor of <i>vitis vinifera</i>. In this post I cover the study findings as regards the domestication of <i>vitis vinifera</i>.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSholEA1o4FxoANHvqtU0wwtgW5L_G5M6RIfD8q0XpsSSPQC5i5NyOEv3-oYbe9IRjE2sFwPFUUGCVg8d0RtzsZ3TnV2TUtpki2QHM12lvGgPJCSRdhjtyscjNE836lfSGHGv0XGXLFFBQU9aJfIqG2WKBUGtSelsvhgqZcU1rwv58RbilPhf6kTdm/s650/timthumb.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="650" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSholEA1o4FxoANHvqtU0wwtgW5L_G5M6RIfD8q0XpsSSPQC5i5NyOEv3-oYbe9IRjE2sFwPFUUGCVg8d0RtzsZ3TnV2TUtpki2QHM12lvGgPJCSRdhjtyscjNE836lfSGHGv0XGXLFFBQU9aJfIqG2WKBUGtSelsvhgqZcU1rwv58RbilPhf6kTdm/s320/timthumb.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vitis vinifera sylvestris (Source: floredusud.com)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>According to the Dong, <i>et al</i>., study, the wet climate of the Early Holocene (11,700 - 8300 years ago) expanded the geographic spaces capable of sustaining Syl-E (identified in my prior post as the eastern ecotype of <i>v. sylvestris</i>) and the species rose to the occasion by moving westward, occupying a "large geographic space from Central Asia to the Iberian Peninsula."</div><div><br /></div><div>I have <a href="https://mowse.blogspot.com/2023/05/rewriting-story-of-ancient-grapes.html">identified</a> six genetic ancestries for cultivated grapes reported out in the Dong, <i>et al</i>., study -- CG1 to CG6 -- each associated with a specific geographic area. For example, CG1 is associated with Western Asian table grapevines and CG2 with Caucasian wine grapevines. CG1, according to the study, "shares the main ancestral components with Syl-E1" while CG2 shares its main components with Syl-E2. This state of affairs suggests the possibility of two domestication events. Further:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>CG1 and CG2 maintain the highest genetic diversity of all the CG groups</li><li>CG1 and CG2 manifest the greatest <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/linkage-disequilibrium">Linkage Disequilibrium decay</a> among all CG groups</li><li>CG1 and CG2 are less differentiated from their corresponding wild ecotypes</li><li>The <a href="https://www.scribbr.com/statistics/akaike-information-criterion/">Akaike information criterion</a>-based phylogenetic selection prefers a dual origin tree model which agrees that CG1 and CG 2 are genetically closer to Syl-E1 and Syl-E2, respectively</li><li>The population split lines of CG1/Syl-E2 and CG2/Syl-E1 pairs resemble that of Syl-E1/Syl-E2 and differ from those of CG1/Syl-E1 and CG2/Syl-E2 pairs.</li></ul></div><div>These data, according to the study, "collectively support a dual origin of <i>v. vinifera</i> and reject the theory of a single primary domestication center."</div><div><br /></div><div>Both sylvestris/cultivar pairs (CG1/Syl-E1 and CG2/Syl-E2) separated quickly which, according to the authors, is compatible with a "clean-split" scenario. The authors estimate the median population split time to be ~ 11,000 years ago for both pairs "suggesting that the domestication events took place concurrently around the advent of agriculture."</div><div><br /></div><div>In that CG1 represents the Western Asian table grapevine, and CG2 the Caucasian wine grape vine, the dual-origin schema advanced herein rejects earlier assumptions that wine grape domestication predated table grape domestication. To reiterate, the data suggest <i>vitis vinifera</i> simultaneous origins in Western Asia and the Caucasus, covering both wine grapes and table grapes.</div><div><br /></div><div>The implications of the foregoing are mind-blowing. It suggests that Syl-E1 and Syl-E2 had self-selected for characteristics that rendered one more palatable as a food source and the other as a beverage. Further, it means that hunter-gatherers within the regions had been interacting with these ecotypes in their natural habits and habitats for many years prior to the instance of dual selection and propagation of the characteristics embodied in CG1 and CG2.</div><div><br /></div><div>My next post will highlight how domesticated grapes spread from these points of origin to the major wine regions.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>©Wine -- <i>Mise en abyme</i>wineORLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06163150468541915038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080161909822087430.post-48695669129242625722023-05-13T10:43:00.002-04:002023-05-13T10:43:23.788-04:00Rewriting the story of ancient grapes: Establishing genetic populations and the story of V. sylvestris<div><div>A recently published grapevine genetic study (Y. Dong, <i>et al</i>., Dual domestications and origin of traits in grapevine evolution, Science 379 (6635), pp. 892 - 900, 3/3/23) "has upended the history of how humans first domesticated grapes for winemaking ..." (Melanie Lidman, It's in the DNA, Times of Israel, 3/25/23). I discussed the factors driving this study, as well as its objectives, in a prior post. In this post I describe study preparation efforts, the steps taken to define ancient vine genetic populations, and the stories hidden in the genes of <i>V. sylvestris</i>, the accepted progenitor of <i>V. vinifera</i>.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Data Collection</b></div></div><div>As discussed in <a href="https://mowse.blogspot.com/2023/04/upending-story-of-ancient-grapes.html?m=0">my lead-in post</a>, in 2019 Dr Chen and his lab reached out to colleagues around the world asking them to contribute material towards the study. A total of 3525 samples of genetic material were received at the State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-resources of Yunnan Agricultural University. The samples were distributed as follows:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>2503 <i>Vitis</i> <i>vinifera</i>, 1022 Vitis <i>sylvestris</i></li><ul><li>3186 from Eurasian germplasm and private collections</li><ul><li>2237 <i>V</i>. <i>vinifera</i>, 949 <i>V</i>. <i>sylvestris</i></li></ul><li>339 from previously sequenced samples</li></ul></ul></div><div>According to the authors, the sample population “deferentially included old, autochthonous, economically important varieties to maximize the spectrum of genetic diversity." Lidman asserts that Israel's sample submission "... constituted the largest contingent of wild grapes from a single country, or about 10 percent of the total wild grapes sequenced for the study."</div><div><br /></div><div>According to Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), (scitechdaily.com, Scientists Determine the Origins of One of the World's Oldest Crops, 4/17/23), it contributed "... its globally unique collection of European wild vines and very old medieval species" to the study. It also connected the research team with the Ukraine researchers who had fled Crimea -- along with the vines from the Magarach collection -- after the 2014 Russian annexation.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Data Cleanup</b></div><div>In this phase of the study the team "weeded out clones, mutants, synonyms, homonyms and duplicates," ending up with 2448 grapevines (1604 <i>V</i>. <i>vinifera</i> and 844 <i>V</i>. <i>sylvestris</i>) and 498 distinct genotypes.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Categorization</b></div><div>The team first utilized <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nmeth.4346">Principal Component Analysis</a> as a mechanism for determining whether "viticultural region" was a key element in defining grapevine diversity; according to the results of the analysis, it was not.</div><div><br /></div><div>The team subsequently "leveraged genetic ancestry information from an unsupervised <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_admixture">ADMIXTURE analysis</a>" (ed., a method of inferring geographical origins based on an analysis of genetic ancestry) to categorize the core accessions. The findings from this analysis were as follows:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The hierarchical clustering of ancestry components identifies four <i>V</i>. <i>sylvestris</i> groups from distinct geographic regions</li><ul><li> Western Asia</li><li> Caucasus</li><li> Central Europe</li><li>Iberian Peninsula</li></ul><li><i>V</i>. <i>sylvestris</i> accessions collected from other regions show admixed genetic structures</li><li>For cultivated grapevines, six genetic ancestries could designate six distinctive groups, all covering a broad range of geographic regions</li><ul><li>Accessions with pure ancestries helped to "ascribe" names to these groups</li><ul><li>CG1 -- Western Asian table grapevines</li><li>CG2 -- Caucasian wine grapevines</li><li>CG3 -- Muscat grapevines</li><li>CG4 -- Balkan wine grapevines</li><li>CG5 -- Iberian wine grapevines</li><li>CG6 -- Western European wine grapevines</li></ul></ul></ul></div><div>"The four <i>sylvestris</i> and six <i>vinifera</i> groups formed identifiable clusters in the PCA plots and were thus suitable for population genomic investigations."</div><div><br /></div><div><b>The <i>V. sylvestris</i> Story</b></div><div>Based on “genetic ancestries and the occupied ecological niches in the western Eurasia continent, the team designated the <i>V. sylvestris</i> accession from Western Asia and the Caucusus as the eastern ecotype and the accession in Central Europe and the Iberian Peninsula as the western ecotype. The similarities and differences between accessions drive this designation. For example, “both nucleotide diversity and individual heterozygosity show that the western ecotype has significantly reduced variation compared with its eastern counterpart.”</div><div><br /></div><div>In tracing the <i>sylvestris</i> genetic history, the authors show that the eastern <i>sylvestris</i> (Syl-E in their parlance) flourished in its range from approximately 1.5 million years to 800 000 years ago. The Pleistocene was a time of changing climate cycles, however, and the population experienced a bottleneck between 800,000 and 400,000 years ago.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheqiS5GfUu3_yvAw6qycVomne495457APdJ2bVLfdCg91xvcmRwjxQNN8ksyPFh5chwBhagMIxlX3LxpPGaolk5w3FLp9aBYsEkoSNwk5X8aMDvBGa5jkaJqlMq85lEWeffkI1gDCuTJ82wzQLEgqReHpAMxaWQHxojRedVOCNyEM4vHv3ejp4EbQf/s474/IMG_6751.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="355" data-original-width="474" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheqiS5GfUu3_yvAw6qycVomne495457APdJ2bVLfdCg91xvcmRwjxQNN8ksyPFh5chwBhagMIxlX3LxpPGaolk5w3FLp9aBYsEkoSNwk5X8aMDvBGa5jkaJqlMq85lEWeffkI1gDCuTJ82wzQLEgqReHpAMxaWQHxojRedVOCNyEM4vHv3ejp4EbQf/s320/IMG_6751.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Illustration of a population bottleneck (Source: alevelbiology.co.uk)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Somewhere between 400,000 and 200,000 years ago there was a divergence in Syl-E, giving rise to Syl-W. According to the analysis, the geographical split which drove the divergence was gradual. The Syl-W grouping experienced its own population bottleneck 400,000 - 150,000 years ago.</div><div><br /></div><div>The last glacial cycle ran from 115,000 to 11,700 years ago and was characterized by ”global climate trending towards drier and colder conditions.” It was during this period — approximately 56,000 years ago -- that the Syl-E ecotype split into the Syl-E1 and Syl-E2 designates. It was also during this period (approximately 40,000 years ago) that there was a system-wide bottleneck which drove vine population to between 10,000 and 40,000. Syl-W experienced its own divergence, designated by the study team as Syl-W1 and Syl-W2.</div><div><br /></div><div>In my next post I will take up the tale of <i>V. vinifera</i>, as told by the genes.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>©Wine -- <i>Mise en abyme</i>wineORLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06163150468541915038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080161909822087430.post-63913864181592768592023-04-24T10:01:00.003-04:002023-04-24T12:31:59.673-04:00ChatGPT on the comments on the Kerin O’Keefe article on decanting<div>I recently posted a Kerin O’Keefe article on wine decanting to my personal Facebook page as well as to the Barolo and Barbaresco Facebook group page. The article elicited strong responses and I thought it would be beneficial to capture them in a blog post for wider sharing.</div><div><br /></div><div>At the completion of the data collation effort I decided to feed the material to ChatGPT to see how it would handle such a task.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAncILNk9QKjqET7hontK_m3YDvaBJgAPdy_XGfxCEJXlj20NqGLgDRYErjcpwm7SKKOJkvSlNV5jMLvhYARGCLWV0CuDI-I1zFwfmPMh0d23DyvOPkL0fGUsXKXuo_NKktIT226Lnmga0iCTT-WvPJ8wT8FLLmgLtf8jmHvHk_ozUr_X-jChSXnjL/s474/B3C5E1EC-504F-4B0A-8FD8-A7709AB20F0C.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="308" data-original-width="474" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAncILNk9QKjqET7hontK_m3YDvaBJgAPdy_XGfxCEJXlj20NqGLgDRYErjcpwm7SKKOJkvSlNV5jMLvhYARGCLWV0CuDI-I1zFwfmPMh0d23DyvOPkL0fGUsXKXuo_NKktIT226Lnmga0iCTT-WvPJ8wT8FLLmgLtf8jmHvHk_ozUr_X-jChSXnjL/s320/B3C5E1EC-504F-4B0A-8FD8-A7709AB20F0C.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: medium.com</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>I first asked it to summarize the Kerin O’Keefe article and the below was its work product. The prompt for summarization is TLDR followed by the web address of the target article.</div><div><br /></div><div><span face="Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji"" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: #f7f7f8; caret-color: rgb(55, 65, 81); color: #374151; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kerin O'Keefe, an experienced wine writer, advises wine enthusiasts to never decant older wines. Decanting can expose the wine to too much oxygen, which can diminish its flavors and aromas. Instead, O'Keefe suggests that you should open the bottle carefully and let the wine breathe naturally in the glass. If you need to remove any sediment, use a fine-mesh sieve or a decanting funnel with a filter. Overall, the goal is to preserve the wine's delicate nuances and characteristics.</span></div><div><br /></div><div>Pretty good, I thought. I next prompted it to “Review and categorize the comments and write an article discussing the major items while highlighting the most impactful contributions. The below was its work product. </div><div><br /></div><div><span face="Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji"" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: #f7f7f8; caret-color: rgb(55, 65, 81); color: #374151; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">The comments above highlight different perspectives on the decanting of wines. Some believe that decanting an old wine, especially a Barolo or Nebbiolo, may cause it to lose its aroma and flavor, while others argue that decanting a wine, young or old, can help improve its taste. Some say decanting depends on the producer, variety, age, and even weather conditions during the vintage. Some decant all young red wine, and others, most "older" red wine, but don't decant very old wine, red or white, unless it's not expressing its varietal character out of the bottle.</span></div><div><span face="Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji"" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: #f7f7f8; caret-color: rgb(55, 65, 81); color: #374151; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji"" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: #f7f7f8; caret-color: rgb(55, 65, 81); color: #374151; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Interestingly, most of the comments suggest that decanting depends on the drinker's personal preference and experience. Jamie Pettigrew commented that wine preparation is just another "opinion," while Scott Walker advised letting the wine dictate what to do. Brad Smith said that it's a function of the wine's variety, age, and that specific bottle. Manuel Somohano suggested that decanting an old wine is to drink it right away, while Ken Vastola shared his experience of drinking a lot of old Nebbiolo that improved after decanting.</span></div><div><span face="Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji"" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: #f7f7f8; caret-color: rgb(55, 65, 81); color: #374151; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji"" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: #f7f7f8; caret-color: rgb(55, 65, 81); color: #374151; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">The most impactful contributions in these comments are that there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to decanting wine. Every drinker has their own preferences, and it's essential to consider the wine's variety, age, and condition. Some wines may need decanting, while others don't, depending on how they express themselves in the bottle. It is, therefore, best to experiment with different decanting techniques or none at all and let the wine be the guide. As a drinker, you can also learn from your past experiences with a specific wine estate or producer to determine if decanting is necessary or not.</span></div><div><span face="Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji"" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: #f7f7f8; caret-color: rgb(55, 65, 81); color: #374151; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji"" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: #f7f7f8; caret-color: rgb(55, 65, 81); color: #374151; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">In conclusion, the comments above reveal a broad spectrum of perspectives on the decanting of wine. However, there is a consensus that decanting depends on personal preference, wine variety, age, and condition. Ultimately, the best way to find out what works for a specific wine is to experiment and trust your palate.</span></div><div><br /></div><div>First, when I initially considered writing the article, I had grouped the comments according to those who agreed with Kerin, disagreed with her, fence-sitters, philosophers, etc. There was no such clear delineation in the package. Also, there were, in my opinion, impactful contributions from Manuel Burgï (again and again) and Rico Thompson but they were not called out by the bot. That being said, I thought this was a passable capturing of the themes of the comments.</div><div><br /></div>©Wine -- Mise en abymewineORLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06163150468541915038noreply@blogger.com0