Catarratto 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
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 approximately 8,0 ...
planted primarily in
Sicily
Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...
where it is the most widely planted grape. Catarratto can make
full bodied wines with
lemon
The lemon (''Citrus'' × ''limon'') is a species of small evergreen tree in the ''Citrus'' genus of the flowering plant family Rutaceae. A true lemon is a hybrid of the citron and the bitter orange. Its origins are uncertain, but some ...
notes.
[J. Robinson: ''Jancis Robinson's Wine Course'' Third Edition, p. 101. Abbeville Press 2003 .] In the
Etna DOC, the grape is often blended with
Minella bianca
Minella bianca is a white Italian wine grape variety that is indigenous (ecology), indigenous to the island of Sicily where it is grown in the foothills of Mount Etna. The name ''Minella'' is derived from the Sicilian word ''minna'' (or "small bre ...
and
Carricante.
[J. Robinson, J. Harding and J. Vouillamoz: ''Wine Grapes - A complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including their origins and flavours'', p. 640. Allen Lane 2012 .]
Subvarieties and phenotypes
Catarratto exists in different
phenotype
In genetics, the phenotype () is the set of observable characteristics or traits of an organism. The term covers the organism's morphology (physical form and structure), its developmental processes, its biochemical and physiological propert ...
s characterised by different
pruinosity, i.e., different amount of whitish "bloom" on the grape berries. When this bloom is largely absent, the grapes give a more glossy impression. ''Catarratto Bianco Comune'' is characterised by a high amount of bloom, while ''Catarratto Bianco Lucido'' has a limited amount of bloom, and is more glossy or 'lucid'. The distinction between the two was first described by the
Ampelographic Commission of
Palermo
Palermo ( ; ; , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan province. The ...
in 1883, which gave them their names. They are also registered as two different grape varieties in Italy, but
DNA typing
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 them to be identical.
Thus, the two phenotypes have resulted from
massal selection of vines showing intravarietal variability of vines having been propagated vegetatively (by cuttings) from the same original seedling. A third variety or phenotype, ''Catarratto Bianco Extra Lucido'', with a complete absence of bloom, was selected by B. Pastena in 1971 among Catarratto Bianco Lucido vines. This was also shown to be genetically identical with the other two, as was assumed by its origin.
Pedigree
An Italian study published in 2008 using DNA typing (the same study that showed the three Catarrattos to be identical) showed a close genetic relationship between
Garganega
Garganega (, ; meaning "from Gargano") is a variety of white Italian wine grape widely grown in the Veneto region of North East Italy, particularly in the provinces of Verona and Vicenza. It is Italy's 6th most widely planted white grape. ...
on the one hand and Catarratto and several other grape varieties on the other hand. It is therefore possible that Garganega is one of the parents of Catarratto, however, since the parents of Garganega have not been identified, the exact nature of the relationship could not be conclusively established.
[''‘Sangiovese’ and ‘Garganega’ are two key varieties of the Italian grapevine assortment evolution''](_blank)
, M. Crespan, A. Calò, S. Giannetto, A. Sparacio, P. Storchi and A. Costacurta, Vitis 47 (2), 97–104 (2008).
Synonyms
Catarratto is also known under the synonyms Castellaro, Cataratto Bertolaro, Cataratto Bianco Nostrale, Cataratto Carteddaro, Catarratto Bertolare, Catarratto Bertolaro, Catarratto Bianco Latino, Catarratto Bianco Nostrale
Catarratto Carteddaro.
, Vitis International Variety Catalogue
The Vitis International Variety Catalogue (VIVC) is a database of various species and varieties/cultivars of grapevine, the genus ''Vitis''. VIVC is administered by the Geilweilerhof Institute for Grape Breeding (''Institut für Rebenzüchtung G ...
, accessed on June 21, 2010.
References
{{Wines
White wine grape varieties