Greco (grape)
Encyclopedia
Greco is an Italian wine
grape that may be of Greek origin. The name relates to both white (Greco bianco) and black (Greco nero) wine grape varieties. While there is more land area dedicated to Greco nero, the Greco bianco is the grape most commonly referred to by the shorthand "Greco". In the Campania
region it is used to produce the Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) wine Greco di Tufo. In Calabria, it is used to make the Denominazione di Origine Controllata
(DOC) wine Greco di Bianco. The name "Greco" is sometimes used as a synonym
for several varieties of supposed Greek origins-most notably Trebbiano
.
After World War II
, the fate of Greco as well as that of many southern Italian grape varieties were in peril. The wartime devastation of vineyards as well as the mass migration of Italian vine growers from agriculture to urban industries in the cities and abroad, ushered in a period of general decline for viticulture
in the region. As plantings declined and vineyards were ripped up, many varieties were on the verge of extinction. The efforts of family winemakers and heritage winemaking
projects such as the Villa dei Misteri project headed by Piero Mastroberardino, help sustain the existence of the Greco vine in southern Italy.
. Ampelographers distinguish the vine based on its characteristic "winged" clusters. After veraison
the grapes turn a golden-grey color. The phenolic compounds in the grape contribute to the wine's characteristically deep color. Greco bianco wines are noted for their aromatic qualities which some wine experts, such as Jancis Robinson
, describing the wines as being vaguely similar to Viognier
. Some aromas commonly associated with the grape include peach
es and fresh green foliage. With age, Greco wines can develop more herbal
notes.
Greco bianco is most widely found in southern Italy where it is featured in several DOCs. In 2006, there less than 1,000 hectares (2,500 acres) of the varieties planted. In Calabria, a specific clone of Greco bianco is used to produced the sweet dessert wine
Greco di Bianco, made in a partial passito style from grapes that have been partially dried after harvest
. On the island of Capri
, Greco is usually blended with Biancolella
and Falanghina
to produce dry style wines. In Apulia, it is a permitted blend component in the Gravina DOC. In Campania, it is featured in the DOCG wine of Greco di Tufo produced around the town of Tufo
. It is also permitted in Lacryma Christi
produced on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius
.
, a rock formed from volcanic ash. All DOCG wines from the region must contain at least 85% Greco with Coda di Volpe
usually filling in the remaining blend. According to Master of Wine
Mary Ewing-Mulligan
, Greco di Tufo wines are usually ready to drink 3–4 years after harvest and having the aging potential to continue to develop well for 10–12 years. A sparkling spumante style is also permitted.
The Greco di Bianco DOC region of Calabria is located around the city of Bianco
in the "toe" of Italy on the Ionian
coast. This is a dessert style wine made from partially dried grapes that must maintain a minimum alcohol level of 17%. The wine has a characteristically dark amber color with aromas of citrus
and herbal notes. Harvest yields are restricted to a maximum of 10 tonnes per hectare. According to wine expert Peter Saunders, Greco di Bianco is often described as one of the best Italian dessert wines produced in the country.
Other DOCs that are permitted to use Greco bianco include:
The red wine variety of Greco, Greco nero, is the most widely planted Greco variety in Italy with an estimated 3,200 hectares (7,900 acres) planted. Most Greco nero is found in the Calabria region where it is often blended with Gaglioppo.
Among the DOCs that are permitted to use Greco nero:
s that have been associated with both white and black varieties of Greco are Balsamina Bianca, Biancame, Greco Biondello, Greco Castellano, Greco delle Torre, Greco del Vesuvio, Greco di Gerace, Greco di Napoli, Greco di Tufo, Greco Maceratino, Greco Moneccio, Grecula, Grecu Niuru, Grieco, Gieco, Grecau, Montecchiese, Morbidella, Ragusano Bianco, Sambiase, and Verdicchio near.
Italian wine
Italian wine is wine produced in Italy, a country which is home to some of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world. Italy is the world's largest wine producer, responsible for approximately one-fifth of world wine production in 2005. Italian wine is exported largely around the world and has...
grape that may be of Greek origin. The name relates to both white (Greco bianco) and black (Greco nero) wine grape varieties. While there is more land area dedicated to Greco nero, the Greco bianco is the grape most commonly referred to by the shorthand "Greco". In the Campania
Campania
Campania is a region in southern Italy. The region has a population of around 5.8 million people, making it the second-most-populous region of Italy; its total area of 13,590 km² makes it the most densely populated region in the country...
region it is used to produce the Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) wine Greco di Tufo. In Calabria, it is used to make the Denominazione di Origine Controllata
Denominazione di Origine Controllata
Denominazione di origine controllata is a quality assurance label for food products, especially wines and various formaggi . It is modelled after the French AOC...
(DOC) wine Greco di Bianco. The name "Greco" is sometimes used as a synonym
Synonym
Synonyms are different words with almost identical or similar meanings. Words that are synonyms are said to be synonymous, and the state of being a synonym is called synonymy. The word comes from Ancient Greek syn and onoma . The words car and automobile are synonyms...
for several varieties of supposed Greek origins-most notably Trebbiano
Trebbiano
Trebbiano is the second most widely planted grape in the world. It gives good yields, but makes undistinguished wine at best. It can be fresh and fruity, but does not keep long. Its high acidity makes it important in Cognac production...
.
History
Over 2,500 years ago, the ancient Greeks imported the ancestor of the Greco vine to southern Italy. Historians and Italian growers have speculated that the grape may have been a blending component in the ancient Roman "cult wines" of Falernian and Aminean. As the grape vine has propagated throughout Italy, the name "Greco" (or Greek vine) has been ascribed to several varieties that may have historically been linked to Greece. Ampelographers disagree about whether or Greco is a single variety with several clones or an agglomeration of several varieties under the umbrella name of "Greco". There is also disagreement about whether any of the Italian "Greek vines" are currently being cultivated in Greece.After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the fate of Greco as well as that of many southern Italian grape varieties were in peril. The wartime devastation of vineyards as well as the mass migration of Italian vine growers from agriculture to urban industries in the cities and abroad, ushered in a period of general decline for viticulture
Viticulture
Viticulture is the science, production and study of grapes which deals with the series of events that occur in the vineyard. When the grapes are used for winemaking, it is also known as viniculture...
in the region. As plantings declined and vineyards were ripped up, many varieties were on the verge of extinction. The efforts of family winemakers and heritage winemaking
Winemaking
Winemaking, or vinification, is the production of wine, starting with selection of the grapes or other produce and ending with bottling the finished wine. Although most wine is made from grapes, it may also be made from other fruit or non-toxic plant material...
projects such as the Villa dei Misteri project headed by Piero Mastroberardino, help sustain the existence of the Greco vine in southern Italy.
Recent discoveries
In the early 21st century, DNA profiling confirmed that some plantings in Italy described as "Greco" were actually the grape variety Asprinio.Greco bianco
The Greco bianco vine tends to mature very late in the grapevine's growing season and is prone to the viticultural hazards of downy and powdery mildewPowdery mildew
Powdery mildew is a fungal disease that affects a wide range of plants. Powdery mildew diseases are caused by many different species of fungi in the order Erysiphales. It is one of the easier diseases to spot, as its symptoms are quite distinctive. Infected plants display white powdery spots on the...
. Ampelographers distinguish the vine based on its characteristic "winged" clusters. After veraison
Veraison
Véraison is a viticulture term meaning "the onset of ripening". It is originally French, but has been adopted into English use...
the grapes turn a golden-grey color. The phenolic compounds in the grape contribute to the wine's characteristically deep color. Greco bianco wines are noted for their aromatic qualities which some wine experts, such as Jancis Robinson
Jancis Robinson
Jancis Mary Robinson OBE, MW is a British wine critic, journalist and editor of wine literature. She currently writes a weekly column for the Financial Times, and writes for her website jancisrobinson.com...
, describing the wines as being vaguely similar to Viognier
Viognier
Viognier is a white wine grape. It is the only permitted grape for the French wine Condrieu in the Rhone valley.-History:The origin of the Viognier grape is unknown. Viognier is presumed to be an ancient grape, possibly originating in Dalmatia and then brought to Rhône by the Romans. One legend...
. Some aromas commonly associated with the grape include peach
Peach
The peach tree is a deciduous tree growing to tall and 6 in. in diameter, belonging to the subfamily Prunoideae of the family Rosaceae. It bears an edible juicy fruit called a peach...
es and fresh green foliage. With age, Greco wines can develop more herbal
Herbal
AThe use of a or an depends on whether or not herbal is pronounced with a silent h. herbal is "a collection of descriptions of plants put together for medicinal purposes." Expressed more elaborately — it is a book containing the names and descriptions of plants, usually with information on their...
notes.
Greco bianco is most widely found in southern Italy where it is featured in several DOCs. In 2006, there less than 1,000 hectares (2,500 acres) of the varieties planted. In Calabria, a specific clone of Greco bianco is used to produced the sweet dessert wine
Dessert wine
Dessert wines are sweet wines typically served with dessert.There is no simple definition of a dessert wine. In the UK, a dessert wine is considered to be any sweet wine drunk with a meal, as opposed to the white fortified wines drunk before the meal, and the red fortified wines drunk after it...
Greco di Bianco, made in a partial passito style from grapes that have been partially dried after harvest
Harvest (wine)
The harvesting of wine grapes is one of the most crucial steps in the process of winemaking. The time of harvest is determined primarily by the ripeness of the grape as measured by sugar, acid and tannin levels with winemakers basing their decision to pick based on the style of wine they wish to...
. On the island of Capri
Capri
Capri is an Italian island in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the Sorrentine Peninsula, on the south side of the Gulf of Naples, in the Campania region of Southern Italy...
, Greco is usually blended with Biancolella
Biancolella
Biancolella is a white Italian wine grape variety grown primarily in the Campania region of southern Italy. It is a permitted grape in a few Campanian Denominazione di origine controllatas but is used mostly as a blending variety.-Synonyms:...
and Falanghina
Falanghina
Falanghina, also called Falanghina Greco, is a variety of wine grape of Vitis vinifera, used for white wines. It is considered a characterful ancient grape variety which may have provided a basis for the classical Falernian wine...
to produce dry style wines. In Apulia, it is a permitted blend component in the Gravina DOC. In Campania, it is featured in the DOCG wine of Greco di Tufo produced around the town of Tufo
Tufo
Tufo is a town and comune in the province of Avellino, Campania, southern Italy. As of 2009 its population was of 938.-History:The name of the town derives from the tuff , the volcanic rock that is widely present in the subsoil of the whole area of the country.-Geography:Situated in the...
. It is also permitted in Lacryma Christi
Lacryma Christi
Lacryma Christi, , is the name of a celebrated Neapolitan type of wine produced on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius in Campania, Italy.-Origins of name:...
produced on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius
Mount Vesuvius
Mount Vesuvius is a stratovolcano in the Gulf of Naples, Italy, about east of Naples and a short distance from the shore. It is the only volcano on the European mainland to have erupted within the last hundred years, although it is not currently erupting...
.
DOCG regions
There are 2 DOCG regions that Greco plays a primary role in, however the grape variety is a permitted component in several DOCs in southern Italy. The Greco di Tufo DOCG region of Campania is located north of the Fiano di Avellino DOCG and includes the town of Tufo and seven other hillside communities. The region was elevated to a DOCG in 2003. Despite being a third of the size of the Fiano di Avellino DOCG, Greco di Tufo is the Campania's region largest producer of DOC quality wine. The vineyard soils of the region are derived from tuffTuff
Tuff is a type of rock consisting of consolidated volcanic ash ejected from vents during a volcanic eruption. Tuff is sometimes called tufa, particularly when used as construction material, although tufa also refers to a quite different rock. Rock that contains greater than 50% tuff is considered...
, a rock formed from volcanic ash. All DOCG wines from the region must contain at least 85% Greco with Coda di Volpe
Coda di Volpe
Coda di Volpe is a white Italian wine grape variety that has been historically grown in the Campania region around the town of Naples. It is often confused with another white Italian wine grape, Emilia, that share many of the same synonyms as Coda di Volpe....
usually filling in the remaining blend. According to Master of Wine
Master of Wine
Master of Wine is a qualification issued by The Institute of Masters of Wine in the United Kingdom...
Mary Ewing-Mulligan
Mary Ewing-Mulligan
Mary Ewing-Mulligan is an American author, wine educator and Master of Wine, the first American woman to achieve this accreditation. She has been the director of the school International Wine Center since 1984, and is executive director of the U.S. programs for the Wine & Spirit Education Trust...
, Greco di Tufo wines are usually ready to drink 3–4 years after harvest and having the aging potential to continue to develop well for 10–12 years. A sparkling spumante style is also permitted.
The Greco di Bianco DOC region of Calabria is located around the city of Bianco
Bianco
Bianco is a town and comune in the Province of Reggio Calabria,in southern Italy. It is a seaside town and a popular tourist resort. The main attractions are the remainings of an old...
in the "toe" of Italy on the Ionian
Ionian Sea
The Ionian Sea , is an arm of the Mediterranean Sea, south of the Adriatic Sea. It is bounded by southern Italy including Calabria, Sicily and the Salento peninsula to the west, southern Albania to the north, and a large number of Greek islands, including Corfu, Zante, Kephalonia, Ithaka, and...
coast. This is a dessert style wine made from partially dried grapes that must maintain a minimum alcohol level of 17%. The wine has a characteristically dark amber color with aromas of citrus
Citrus
Citrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the rue family, Rutaceae. Citrus is believed to have originated in the part of Southeast Asia bordered by Northeastern India, Myanmar and the Yunnan province of China...
and herbal notes. Harvest yields are restricted to a maximum of 10 tonnes per hectare. According to wine expert Peter Saunders, Greco di Bianco is often described as one of the best Italian dessert wines produced in the country.
- Bivongi DOC - Calabrian wine region located along the StilaroStilaroThe Stilaro is an Italian river, which runs through Bivongi, Pazzano and Stilo in the Province of Reggio Calabria, Calabria and, along with the river, gives its name to the Vallata dello Stilaro Allaro, the valley through which it flows...
river on the slopes of Mount Consolino. For the white wine of Bivongi, Greco can make up to 30-50% of the blend along with Guardavalle, Montonico, Malvasia bianca and Ansonica. - Capri DOC - Campanian wine region located on the island of Capri. Greco is permitted to make up to 50% of the white blend along with Falanghina and Biancolella.
- Cilento DOC - Campanian wine region located in CilentoCilentoCilento is an Italian geographical region of Campania in the central and southern part of the Province of Salerno and an important tourist area of southern Italy.-Geography:...
of the province of SalernoProvince of SalernoThe Province of Salerno is a province in the Campania region of Italy.-Geography:The largest towns in the province are: Salerno, the capital, which has a population of 139,579; Cava de' Tirreni with a population of 53,488; Battipaglia with a population of 51,115; and Nocera Inferiore which has a...
. Greco is permitted to make 10-15% of the white blend along with FianoFiano (grape)Fiano is a white Italian wine grape variety that is grown primarily in the Campania region of southern Italy and on the island of Sicily. In Campania, this fairly strong flavored white wine grape is particularly noted around Avellino where the Denominazione di origine controllata e Garantita wine...
, Trebbiano and Malvaria Bianca. - Ciro DOC - Calabrian wine region located in the province of CatanzaroProvince of CatanzaroThe Province of Catanzaro is a province of the Calabria region, in Italy. The city of Catanzaro is capital both of the province and of the region.- Demographics :The following is a list of the province of Catanzaro comunes with population over 5,000:...
. Greco can be used as a small component (no more than 5%) in the red wine blend of Ciro along with Trebbiano in this predominately GaglioppoGaglioppoGaglioppo is a red wine grape that is grown in southern Italy, primarily around Calabria. The vine performs well in drought conditions but is susceptible to oidium and peronospera. The grape produces wine that is full-bodied, high in alcohol and tannins with a need for considerable time in the...
wine. The inclusion of the white grapes in this red shares some of the purpose and history behind the inclusion of white wine grapes in the red wines of ChiantiChiantiChianti 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...
. - Fiano di Avellino DOCG - Campanian wine region recently promoted to DOCG in 2003. Greco is permitted to make up 15% of this blend along with Fiano, Trebbiano and Coda di Volpe.
- Gravina DOC - Apulian wine region located around the town of GravinaGravina in PugliaGravina in Puglia is an Italian municipality in the Southern Italian Province of Bari, site along a river of the same name in the Western Murgia geographical area of Apulia.It is the seat of the Alta Murgia National Park....
. Greco is permitted to make up to 35-60% of the blend along with MalvasiaMalvasiaMalvasia is a group of wine grape varieties grown historically in the Mediterranean region, Balearic islands, Canary Islands and the island of Madeira, but now grown in many of the winemaking regions of the world...
, Bianco d'Alessano, Bombino biancoBombino BiancoBombino Bianco is a white Italian wine grape variety planted primarily along Italy's Adriatic coast line, most notably in Apulia. The vine is prone to high yields.-Synonyms:...
, Trebbiano and Verdeca. - Melissa DOC - Calabrian DOC around the city of MelissaMelissa, ItalyMelissa is a comune in the province of Crotone, in Calabria. The village is in a mountainous setting.-History:Melissa is mentioned for the first time in 13th century documents...
. The region names is derived from the Greek word for "sweet" which is used to describe the high level of ripe sugars that wine grapes can achieve in this wine climate region. Both Greco nero and Greco bianco are permitted in the red wine of this DOC from 5-25%. In the white blend, Greco makes up 80-05% along with Trebbiano and Malvasia bianca. - Molise DOC - This large DOC covers the entire mountainous MoliseMoliseMolise is a region of Southern Italy, the second smallest of the regions. It was formerly part of the region of Abruzzi e Molise and now a separate entity...
region located south of Abruzzi. The region attained DOC status in 1998 and is one of the few Italian regions that are permitted to have varietalVarietal"Varietal" describes wines made primarily from a single named grape variety, and which typically displays the name of that variety on the wine label. Examples of grape varieties commonly used in varietal wines are Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Merlot...
ly labeled wines of which Greco bianco is permitted provided it is responsible for at least 85% of the wine. - Penisola Sorrentina DOC - Campanian wine region based on the Sorrento Peninsula. Greco is permitted to make up to 60% of the white blend of this DOC along with Falanghina and Biancolella.
- Sannio DOC - Campanian wine region located in the hill center of the region that overlaps partially with the historical grape growing region of SamniumSamniumSamnium is a Latin exonym for a region of south or south and central Italy in Roman times. The name survives in Italian today, but today's territory comprising it is only a small portion of what it once was. The populations of Samnium were called Samnites by the Romans...
. Here Greco is used for both still wines and a Spumante style wine produced with the classical method of sparkling wineSparkling wineSparkling wine is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it making it fizzy. The carbon dioxide may result from natural fermentation, either in a bottle, as with the méthode champenoise, in a large tank designed to withstand the pressures involved , or as a result of carbon dioxide...
production. For the still white blend of Sannio, Greco is permitted to make up to 50% of the blend with Trebbiano, Coda di Volpe, Falanghina, Fiano and MoscatoMuscat (grape and wine)The Muscat variety of grapes of the species Vitis vinifera is widely grown for wine, raisins and table grapes. Their color ranges from white to near black. Muscat almost always has a pronounced sweet floral aroma. Muscat grapes are grown around the world...
. In the Spumante style, Greco and Falanghina are the only two permitted grape varieties. - Sant'Ágata dei Goti DOC - Campanian wine region located around the town of Sant'Agata de' GotiSant'Agata de' GotiSant'Agata de' Goti is a comune in the Province of Benevento in the Italian region Campania, located about 35 km northeast of Naples and about 25 km west of Benevento near the Monte Taburno....
. Greco is permitted to make up to 40-60% of the blend along with Falanghina. - Sant'Anna di Isola Capo Rizzuto DOC - Calabrian wine region located on a cape in the heel of Italy. The white Greco bianco is permitted to make up to 35% of the blend for the red wine of this DOC.
- Scavigna DOC - Calabrian wine region located in the province of Catanzaro near the Falerna DOC where historically the Roman wine Falernian was produced. Greco is permitted to make up to 20% of the blend along with Trebbiano, ChardonnayChardonnayChardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used to make white wine. It is originated from the Burgundy wine region of eastern France but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand...
and Malvasia.
Greco nero
Among the DOCs that are permitted to use Greco nero:
- Bivongi DOC - For both the red and roséRoséA rosé is a type of wine that has some of the color typical of a red wine, but only enough to turn it pink. The pink color can range from a pale orange to a vivid near-purple, depending on the grapes and wine making techniques.- Production techniques :There are three major ways to produce rosé...
wines of Bivongi, Greco is permitted to make 30-50% of the blend along with Gaglioppo, Nocera, Nero d'AvolaNero d'AvolaNero d'Avola is "the most important red wine grape in Sicily" and is one of Italy's most important indigenous varieties. It is named after Avola in the far south of Sicily and its wines are compared to New World Shirazes, with sweet tannins and plum or peppery flavours...
and Castiglione. - Campidano di Terralba DOC - Sardinian wine region located on the plains of CampidanoCampidanoCampidano is a plain located in the south-western area of Sardinia, Italy, covering approximately 100 kilometres between Cagliari and Oristano....
on the island's west coast. Greco is permitted to make up to 20% of the blend along with Bovale di Spagna, Bovale Sardo, Pascale di Cagliari and MonicaMonica (grape)Monica is a red wine grape that is grown primarily in Sardinia and is one of the few grapes that wine regulations allow to appear on the wine label. The vine originated in Spain but is rarely grown there in recent times. The wine made from these grapes tends to be simple wines made to be consumed...
. - Donnici DOC - Calabrian wine region located around the city of CosenzaCosenzaCosenza is a city in southern Italy, located at the confluence of two historic rivers: the Busento and the Crathis. The municipal population is of around 70,000; the urban area, however, counts over 260,000 inhabitants...
. Greco is permitted to make up to 10-20% of the blend along with Gaglioppo, Malvasia bianca and Percorello. - Lamezia DOC - Calabrian wine region located around the city of Lamezia. Greco is permitted to make up to 25-25% of the blend along with Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Capuccio and Gaglioppo.
- Melissa DOC - For the red blend of this wine, Greco is permitted to make up to 5-25% of the wine along with Gaglioppo and white grape varieties of Greco bianco, Trebbiano and Malvasia bianca.
- Pollino DOC - Calabrian wine region that is the southern most wine producing region on Calabria located in the foot hills around Monte Pollino. Greco is permitted to make up to 40% of the blend along with Gaglioppo, and the white grape varieties of Malvasia Bianca, Montonico bianco and Guarnaccia bianca.
Synonyms
Among the synonymSynonym
Synonyms are different words with almost identical or similar meanings. Words that are synonyms are said to be synonymous, and the state of being a synonym is called synonymy. The word comes from Ancient Greek syn and onoma . The words car and automobile are synonyms...
s that have been associated with both white and black varieties of Greco are Balsamina Bianca, Biancame, Greco Biondello, Greco Castellano, Greco delle Torre, Greco del Vesuvio, Greco di Gerace, Greco di Napoli, Greco di Tufo, Greco Maceratino, Greco Moneccio, Grecula, Grecu Niuru, Grieco, Gieco, Grecau, Montecchiese, Morbidella, Ragusano Bianco, Sambiase, and Verdicchio near.