Ciliegiolo
Encyclopedia
Ciliegiolo is a variety of red wine grape from Italy, named after the Italian for 'cherry'. It is a minor component of traditional blends such as Chianti
, but interest has revived in recent years. In Umbria it is made into a light quaffing
wine, in Tuscany it is made into a bigger, more structured style.
, but this was immediately disputed by another study published the same year which claimed Ciliegiolo was the offspring of Sangiovese rather than the other way around. Thus, the exact nature of the genetic relationship (but not the presence of a close relationship) between Cilieglio and Sangiovese remains disputed.
Some legend claims that Ciliegiolo came to Italy from Spain
, but the genetic link between Ciliegiolo and Sangiovese is practically impossible to reconcile with a Spanish origin.
It's possibile find ciliegiolo grapes in Sicily too, the label is "Dedalo" and is product from Fiore winery in Butera area.
The berries average 19.2mm long, 19.0mm wide, and weigh 3.68g.
Chianti
Chianti is a red Italian wine produced in Tuscany. It was historically associated with a squat bottle enclosed in a straw basket, called a fiasco ; however, the fiasco is only used by a few makers of the wine now; most Chianti is now bottled in more standard shaped wine bottles...
, but interest has revived in recent years. In Umbria it is made into a light quaffing
Quaffing
Quaffing is a wine term to describe a category of wine that is 'simple and everyday'; that is cheap enough to be consumed in large quantities, usually available also in bigger containers. A "quaffing wine"....
wine, in Tuscany it is made into a bigger, more structured style.
Pedigree and relationship to Sangiovese
A study published in 2007 using DNA typing tentatively identified the Ciliegiolo and Calabrese di Montenuovo as the parents of SangioveseSangiovese
Sangiovese is a red Italian wine grape variety whose name derives from the Latin sanguis Jovis, "the blood of Jove"...
, but this was immediately disputed by another study published the same year which claimed Ciliegiolo was the offspring of Sangiovese rather than the other way around. Thus, the exact nature of the genetic relationship (but not the presence of a close relationship) between Cilieglio and Sangiovese remains disputed.
Some legend claims that Ciliegiolo came to Italy from Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, but the genetic link between Ciliegiolo and Sangiovese is practically impossible to reconcile with a Spanish origin.
Italy
There are around 5000 hectares of Ciliegiolo in Italy, a figure that has been in steady decline. It is used in the wines from Torgiano Rosso Riserva, Parrina, Colli Lucchesi, Chianti, Val di Cornia, Golfo del Tigullio and Colli di Luni.It's possibile find ciliegiolo grapes in Sicily too, the label is "Dedalo" and is product from Fiore winery in Butera area.
Vine and Viticulture
Ciliegiolo is not an easy grape to grow, suffering at times from shatter.The berries average 19.2mm long, 19.0mm wide, and weigh 3.68g.
Further reading
- Robinson, Jancis Vines, Grapes & Wines Mitchell Beazley 1986 ISBN 1-85732-999-6