Caprettone is a white

Italian wine Italian wine () is produced in every region of Italy. Italy is the country with the widest variety of indigenous grapevine in the world, with an area of under vineyard cultivation, as well as the List of wine-producing regions#Countries, world's ...

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

that is grown in the

Campania Campania is an administrative Regions of Italy, region of Italy located in Southern Italy; most of it is in the south-western portion of the Italian Peninsula (with the Tyrrhenian Sea to its west), but it also includes the small Phlegraean Islan ...

region of southern Italy where it is a minor blending component in the ''

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

'' (DOC) wine of Lacryma Christi bianco. Caprettone is also grown in the Rogue River Valley of southern Oregon. Historically, the grape was believed to be a clone of the Campanian grape

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 (grape), Emilia, that share many of the same ...

but

DNA analysis Genetic testing, also known as DNA testing, is used to identify changes in DNA sequence or chromosome structure. Genetic testing can also include measuring the results of genetic changes, such as RNA analysis as an output of gene expression, or ...

has shown that the two grapes are instead distinct varieties.J. Robinson, J. Harding and J. Vouillamoz ''Wine Grapes - A complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including their origins and flavours'' pg 185 Allen Lane 2012

History

Ampelographers believe that the name ''Caprettone'' may be derived from the

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

''capra'' which means goat and could be a reference to the historical role of

shepherd A shepherd is a person who tends, herds, feeds, or guards flocks of sheep. Shepherding is one of the world's oldest occupations; it exists in many parts of the globe, and it is an important part of Pastoralism, pastoralist animal husbandry. ...

s in grape growing in southern Italy or to the characteristic shape of Caprettone clusters which can resemble a goat's beard.

For many years, Caprettone was assumed to be a clone of Coda di Volpe but DNA analysis in the early 21st century showed that the two grapes are distinct varieties and that, instead, Caprettone was closely related to the red Campanian wine grape Piedirosso and the white Ginestra. It was also speculated that Catalanesca and Uva Rosa may also be related to Caprettone but DNA results from 2005 showed no close relationship between those varieties and Caprettone.

Viticulture

Caprettone is an early to mid-ripening grape variety that is usually harvested in Campania in mid to late September. The grape is noted for being able to maintain moderate

acidity An acid is a molecule or ion capable of either donating a proton (i.e. hydrogen cation, H+), known as a Brønsted–Lowry acid, or forming a covalent bond with an electron pair, known as a Lewis acid. The first category of acids are the ...

levels even in the warm climate of southern Italy.

Wine regions

For the 2000 census, Caprettone was still officially recognized as a clone/synonym for Coda di Volpe, which had reported, so the exact number of plantings for the grape is not known. Ampelographers believe that true Caprettone is mostly isolated to the province of Napoli where 15 villages around

Mount Vesuvius Mount Vesuvius ( ) is a Somma volcano, 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 several volcanoes forming the Campanian volcanic arc. Vesuv ...

have had a long history of production with the grape. Under DOC regulation, Caprettone can be made as a

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. ...

wine under the Vesuvio DOC regulations,https://italianwinecentral.com/denomination/vesuvio-doc/ and it is permitted to be a major blending component in the white wine of Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio Bianco. In the Rogue River Valley appellation of Oregon in the U. S., a varietal wine is made from local Caprettone grapes.

References

{{reflist White wine grape varieties