Greco is an

Italian wine Italian wine is produced in every region of Italy. Italy is the world's largest producer of wine, with an area of under vineyard cultivation, and contributing a 2013–2017 annual average of 48.3 million hl of wine. In 2018 Italy accounted fo ...

grape A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus '' Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters. The cultivation of grapes began perhaps 8,000 years a ...

that may be of

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

origin. The name relates to both white ''(Greco bianco)'' and black ''(Greco nero)''

grape varieties This list of grape varieties includes cultivated grapes, whether used for wine, or eating as a table grape, fresh or dried (raisin, currant, sultana). For a complete list of all grape species including those unimportant to agriculture, see Viti ...

. While there is more land area dedicated to ''Greco nero'', the ''Greco bianco'' is the grape most commonly referred to by "Greco". In the

Campania (man), it, Campana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demog ...

region it is used to produce the ''

Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita The following four classifications of wine constitute the Italian system of labelling and legally protecting Italian wine: * ''Denominazione di origine'' (DO, rarely used; ; English: “designation of origin”), * ''Indicazione geografica tipi ...

'' (DOCG) wine ''Greco di Tufo''. In Calabria, it is used to make the ''

Denominazione di Origine Controllata The following four classifications of wine constitute the Italian system of labelling and legally protecting Italian wine: * ''Denominazione di origine'' (DO, rarely used; ; English: “designation of origin”), * ''Indicazione geografica tipi ...

'' (DOC) wine ''Greco di Bianco''. The name "Greco" is sometimes used as a synonym for several varieties of supposed Greek origins-most notably Trebbiano.J. Robinson ''Jancis Robinson's Wine Course'' Third Edition pg 112 Abbeville Press 2003

History

Migration of Greek grape varieties to Italy

The ancestor of the ''Greco'' vine may have been brought to southern Italy more than 2,500 years ago by ancient Greek settlers. Historians and Italian growers have speculated that the grape may have been a blending component in the ancient

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

cult wine Cult wines are wines for which dedicated groups of committed enthusiasts will pay large sums of money. Cult wines are often seen as trophy wines to be collected or as investment wine to be held rather than consumed. Because price is often seen ...

s" of

Falernian Falernian ( la, Falernum) was a strong white wine popular in the classical Roman period, produced from Aglianico grapes (and quite possibly Greco as well)J. Robinson ''Vines, Grapes & Wines'' pgs 213 & 242 Mitchell Beazley 1986 on the slopes o ...

and Aminean.J. Robinson ''Vines, Grapes & Wines'' pg 242 Mitchell Beazley 1986 As the grape vine has propagated throughout Italy, the name "''Greco''" has been ascribed to several varieties that may have historically been linked to Greece.

Ampelographer Ampelography ( ἄμπελος, "vine" + γράφος, "writing") is the field of botany concerned with the identification and classification of grapevines, ''Vitis'' spp. Traditionally this has been done by comparing the shape and colour of the ...

s 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 so-called "Greek vines" are currently being cultivated in

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...

.Oz Clarke ''Encyclopedia of Grapes'' pg 112 Harcourt Books 2001 After

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, 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 (from the Latin word for '' vine'') or winegrowing (wine growing) is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of '' Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine, ...

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 or vinification is the production of wine, starting with the selection of the fruit, its fermentation into alcohol, and the bottling of the finished liquid. The history of wine-making stretches over millennia. The science of wine and ...

projects such as the Villa dei Misteri project headed by Piero Mastroberardino, helped sustain the existence of the ''Greco'' vine in southern Italy.G. Harding ''"A Wine Miscellany"'' pg 24, Clarkson Potter Publishing, New York 2005

Recent discoveries

In the early 21st century, DNA profiling confirmed that some plantings in Italy described as "''Greco''" are genetically identical to the grape variety '' Asprinio''.J. Robinson (ed) ''"The Oxford Companion to Wine"'' Third Edition pg 326 Oxford University Press 2006

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 Downy, also known as Lenor in Europe, Russia and Japan, is a brand of fabric softener produced by Procter & Gamble that was introduced in 1960. Lenor is a brand name of fabric softener and dryer sheets, also produced by P&G, sold in Europe, Rus ...

and

powdery mildew Powdery mildew is a fungal disease that affects a wide range of plants. Powdery mildew diseases are caused by many different species of ascomycete fungi in the order Erysiphales. Powdery mildew is one of the easier plant diseases to identify, a ...

. Ampelographers distinguish the vine based on its characteristic "winged" clusters. After ''

veraison In viticulture, veraison (french: véraison, ) is the onset of the ripening of the grapes. The official definition of ''veraison'' is "change of color of the grape berries". Veraison represents the transition from berry growth to berry ripening, ...

'' the grapes turn a golden-grey color. The phenolic compounds in the grape contribute to the wine's characteristically deep

color Color (American English) or colour (British English) is the visual perceptual property deriving from the spectrum of light interacting with the photoreceptor cells of the eyes. Color categories and physical specifications of color are assoc ...

. ''Greco bianco'' wines are noted for their aromatic qualities with 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 The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and cultivated in Zhejiang province of Eastern China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and others (the glossy-skinned, non-f ...

es and fresh green

foliage A leaf ( : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, s ...

. With age, ''Greco'' wines can develop more

herbal A herbal is a book containing the names and descriptions of plants, usually with information on their medicinal, tonic, culinary, toxic, hallucinatory, aromatic, or magical powers, and the legends associated with them.Arber, p. 14. A herbal m ...

notes. ''Greco bianco'' is most widely found in southern Italy where it is featured in several

DOC DOC, Doc, doc or DoC may refer to: In film and television * ''Doc'' (2001 TV series), a 2001–2004 PAX series * ''Doc'' (1975 TV series), a 1975–1976 CBS sitcom * "D.O.C." (''Lost''), a television episode * ''Doc'' (film), a 1971 Wester ...

s. In 2006, it numbered less than 1,000 hectares (2,500 acres) of the varieties planted. In Calabria, a specific clone of ''Greco bianco'' is used to produce the

sweet Sweetness is a basic taste most commonly perceived when eating foods rich in sugars. Sweet tastes are generally regarded as pleasurable. In addition to sugars like sucrose, many other chemical compounds are sweet, including aldehydes, ketone ...

dessert wine Dessert wines, sometimes called pudding wines in the United Kingdom, 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 ...

''Greco di Bianco'', made in a partial ''

passito Straw wine, or raisin wine, is a wine made from grapes that have been dried to concentrate their juice. The result is similar to that of the ice wine process, but is a much older process and suitable for warm climates. The technique dates back ...

'' 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 The following four classifications of wine constitute the Italian system of labelling and legally protecting Italian wine: * ''Denominazione di origine'' (DO, rarely used; ; English: “designation of origin”), * ''Indicazione geografica tipi ...

wine of ''Greco di Tufo'' produced around the town of Tufo, Provincia di Avellino. It is also permitted in

Lacryma Christi Lacryma Christi () or Lachryma Christi of Vesuvius is the name of a Neapolitan type of wine produced on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius in Campania, Italy. White Lacryma Christi is made mainly from Verdeca and Coda di Volpe grapes, with smaller pr ...

produced on the slopes of

Mount Vesuvius Mount Vesuvius ( ; it, Vesuvio ; nap, 'O Vesuvio , also or ; la, Vesuvius , also , or ) is a somma-stratovolcano located on the Gulf of Naples in Campania, Italy, about east of Naples and a short distance from the shore. It is one of ...

DOCG regions

There are two 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 region's largest producer of DOC quality wine. The vineyard soils of the region are derived from

tuff Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption. Following ejection and deposition, the ash is lithified into a solid rock. Rock that contains greater than 75% ash is considered tuff, while rock ...

, a rock formed from

volcanic A volcano is a rupture in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Earth, volcanoes are most often found where tectonic plates a ...

ash—after which the town of Tufo itself is named. 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 Master of Wine (MW) is a qualification (not an academic degree) issued by The Institute of Masters of Wine in the United Kingdom. The MW qualification is generally regarded in the wine industry as one of the highest standards of professional knowle ...

Mary Ewing-Mulligan, Greco di Tufo wines are usually ready to drink 3–4 years after harvest and have the aging potential to continue to develop well for 10–12 years.M. Ewing-Mulligan & E. McCarthy ''Italian Wines for Dummies'' pg 209-210, 230 Hungry Minds 2001 A sparkling ''

spumante Sparkling wine is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it, making it fizzy. While the phrase commonly refers to champagne, European Union countries legally reserve that term for products exclusively produced in the Champagne reg ...

'' style is also permitted.P. Saunders ''Wine Label Language'' pg 128-216 Firefly Books 2004 The Greco di Bianco DOC region of Calabria is located around the city of

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 abbey and the ruins of a Roman house. See also *Calabri ...

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 Alcohol by volume (abbreviated as ABV, abv, or alc/vol) is a standard measure of how much alcohol (ethanol) is contained in a given volume of an alcoholic beverage (expressed as a volume percent). It is defined as the number of millilitres (mL) o ...

of 17%. The wine has a characteristically dark amber color with aromas of

citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. The genus ''Citrus'' is native to ...

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: * Bivongi DOC - Calabrian wine region located along the Stilaro 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 Guardavalle ( Calabrian: ) is a '' comune'' and town in the province of Catanzaro in the Calabria region of Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is lo ...

, 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 Cilento of the

province of Salerno The Province of Salerno ( it, Provincia di Salerno) is a province in the Campania region of Italy. __TOC__ Geography The largest towns in the province are: Salerno, the capital, which has a population of 131,950; Cava de' Tirreni, Battipagli ...

. Greco is permitted to make 10-15% of the white blend along with Fiano, Trebbiano and Malvasia Bianca. * Ciro DOC - Calabrian wine region located in the

province of Catanzaro The province of Catanzaro ( it, provincia di Catanzaro; Catanzarese: ) is a province of the Calabria region of Italy. The city Catanzaro is both capital of the province and capital of the region of Calabria. The province contains a total of 8 ...

. 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 Gaglioppo 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

Chianti A Chianti wine (, also , ) is any wine produced in the Chianti region of central Tuscany. It was historically associated with a squat bottle enclosed in a straw basket, called a ''fiasco'' ("flask"; ''pl. fiaschi''). However, the ''fiasco'' is ...

. *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 Gravina. Greco is permitted to make up to 35-60% of the blend along with

Malvasia Malvasia (, also known as Malvazia) 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 bianco Bombino 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 and often produces neutral flavor wines.J. Robinson ''Jancis Robinson's Wine ...

, Trebbiano and Verdeca. *

Melissa DOC Calabrian wine (Italian: ''Vino Calabrese'') is Italian wine from the Calabria region of southern Italy. Over 90% of the region's wine production is red wine, with a large portion made from the Gaglioppo grape. Calabria has 12 ''Denominazione ...

- Calabrian DOC around the city of

Melissa Melissa is a female given name. The name comes from the Greek word μέλισσα (''mélissa''), "bee", which in turn comes from μέλι (''meli''), "honey". In Hittite, ''melit'' signifies "honey". ''Melissa'' also refers to the plant ''Me ...

. The region names is derived from the Greek word for "sweet" which is used to describe the high level of

ripe Réseaux IP Européens (RIPE, French for "European IP Networks") is a forum open to all parties with an interest in the technical development of the Internet. The RIPE community's objective is to ensure that the administrative and technical coor ...

sugars Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or double ...

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

Molise it, Molisano (man) it, Molisana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 ...

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

varietal A varietal wine is a wine made primarily from a single named grape variety, and which typically displays the name of that variety on the wine label.The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, 2000.winepros.com.au. ...

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 The Sorrento Peninsula or Sorrentine Peninsula is a peninsula located in southern Italy which separates the Gulf of Naples to the north from the Gulf of Salerno to the south. Geography Overview The peninsula is named after its main town, Sorr ...

. 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

Samnium Samnium ( it, Sannio) is a Latin exonym for a region of Southern Italy anciently inhabited by the Samnites. Their own endonyms were ''Safinim'' for the country (attested in one inscription and one coin legend) and ''Safineis'' for the The ...

. Here Greco is used for both still wines and a ''Spumante'' style wine produced with the classical method of

sparkling wine Sparkling wine is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it, making it fizzy. While the phrase commonly refers to champagne, European Union countries legally reserve that term for products exclusively produced in the Champagne regi ...

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 Moscato. In the ''Spumante'' style, Greco and Falanghina are the only two permitted grape varieties. * Sant'Agata dei Goti DOC - Campanian wine region located around the town of

Sant'Agata de' Goti Sant'Agata de' Goti is a ''comune'' (municipality) and former Catholic bishopric 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 Taburn ...

. Greco is permitted to make up to 40-60% of the blend along with Falanghina. *

Sant'Anna di Isola Capo Rizzuto DOC Calabrian wine (Italian: ''Vino Calabrese'') is Italian wine from the Calabria region of southern Italy. Over 90% of the region's wine production is red wine, with a large portion made from the Gaglioppo grape. Calabria has 12 ''Denominazione ...

- 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, Chardonnay and Malvasia.

Greco nero

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: *Bivongi DOC - For both the red and '' rosé'' wines of Bivongi, Greco is permitted to make 30-50% of the blend along with Gaglioppo, Nocera,

Nero d'Avola Nero d'Avola (; 'Black of Avola' in Italian) is "the most important red wine grape in Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , ...

and Castiglione. * Campidano di Terralba DOC - Sardinian wine region located on the plains of

Campidano Campidano ( sc, Campidànu) is a plain located in South-Western Sardinia (Italy), covering approximately 100 kilometres between Cagliari and Oristano. Geography Geologically, it is a graben, a tectonic structure formed in the mid-Pliocene/early ...

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 Pascale di Cagliari is a red Italian wine grape variety that is grown in Sardinia.J. Robinson ''Jancis Robinson's Guide to Wine Grapes'' pg 133 Oxford University Press 1996 DOC wines Pascale di Cagliari is a permitted grape variety in several ...

and Monica. *

Donnici DOC Calabrian wine (Italian: ''Vino Calabrese'') is Italian wine from the Calabria region of southern Italy. Over 90% of the region's wine production is red wine, with a large portion made from the Gaglioppo grape. Calabria has 12 ''Denominazione ...

- Calabrian wine region located around the city of Cosenza. Greco is permitted to make up to 10-20% of the blend along with Gaglioppo, Malvasia bianca and

Pecorello Pecorino is a white Italian wine grape variety that grows in the Marche, Abruzzo, Tuscany, Umbria and Lazio regions of Italy. Ampelographers believe that the grape is likely native to Marche, where the soil destined for this cultivation incre ...

. *

Lamezia DOC Calabrian wine (Italian: ''Vino Calabrese'') is Italian wine from the Calabria region of southern Italy. Over 90% of the region's wine production is red wine, with a large portion made from the Gaglioppo grape. Calabria has 12 ''Denominazione ...

- Calabrian wine region located around the city of

Lamezia Terme Lamezia Terme (), commonly called Lamezia, is an Italian city and ''comune'' of 70,452 inhabitants (2013), in the province of Catanzaro in the Calabria region. Geography Lamezia is located on the eastern border of the coastal plain commonly cal ...

. 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 (Italian: ''Vino Calabrese'') is Italian wine from the Calabria region of southern Italy. Over 90% of the region's wine production is red wine, with a large portion made from the Gaglioppo grape. Calabria has 12 ''Denominazione ...

- Calabrian wine region that is the southernmost wine-producing region on Calabria located in the foothills 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 synonyms 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.Vitis International Variety Catalogue (VIVC)
Greco
Accessed: December 15th, 2009

References

{{reflist, 2 White wine grape varieties