Greco is an Italian wine grape that may be of Greek origin. The name relates to both white ''(Greco bianco)'' and black ''(Greco nero)'' grape varieties. 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 region it is used to produce the '' Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita'' (DOCG) wine ''Greco di Tufo''. In

Calabria , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

, it is used to make the '' Denominazione di Origine Controllata'' (DOC) wine ''Greco di Bianco''. The name "Greco" is sometimes used as a

synonym A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...

for several varieties of supposed Greek origins-most notably

Trebbiano Trebbiano is an Italian wine grape, one of the most widely planted grape varieties in the world. It gives good yields, but tends to yield undistinguished wine. It can be fresh and fruity, but does not keep long. Also known as ugni blanc, it h ...

.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 " cult wines" of Falernian 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. 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 so-called "Greek vines" are currently being cultivated in Greece.Oz Clarke ''Encyclopedia of Grapes'' pg 112 Harcourt Books 2001 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 The Villa of the Mysteries ( it, Villa dei Misteri) is a well-preserved suburban ancient Roman villa on the outskirts of Pompeii, southern Italy. It is famous for the series of exquisite frescos in Room 5, which are usually interpreted as showin ...

project headed by

Piero Mastroberardino Mastroberardino is an Italian winery located in Atripalda, in Provincia di Avellino, in the Campania region. Founded in 1878, the winery is known for its production of Taurasi DOCG as well as its ampelography work in identifying and preserving ...

, 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 DNA profiling (also called DNA fingerprinting) is the process of determining an individual's DNA characteristics. DNA analysis intended to identify a species, rather than an individual, is called DNA barcoding. DNA profiling is a forensic tec ...

confirmed that some plantings in Italy described as "''Greco''" are genetically identical to the grape variety ''

Asprinio Asprinio bianco is a white Italian wine grape variety grown primarily in southwest Italy around the Naples region of Campania. It is currently not believed to be related to the similarly named French wine grape of the Languedoc region, Aspiran. In ...

''.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 The annual growth cycle of grapevines is the process that takes place in the vineyard each year, beginning with bud break in the spring and culminating in leaf fall in autumn followed by winter dormancy. From a winemaking perspective, each step ...

and is prone to the viticultural hazards of downy and powdery mildew. Ampelographers distinguish the vine based on its characteristic "winged" clusters. After '' veraison'' the grapes turn a golden-grey color. The

phenolic compounds In organic chemistry, phenols, sometimes called phenolics, are a class of chemical compounds consisting of one or more hydroxyl groups (— O H) bonded directly to an aromatic hydrocarbon group. The simplest is phenol, . Phenolic compounds are c ...

in the grape contribute to the wine's characteristically deep color. ''Greco bianco'' wines are noted for their aromatic qualities with some wine experts, such as

Jancis Robinson Jancis Mary Robinson OBE, ComMA, MW (born 22 April 1950) is a British wine critic, journalist and wine writer. She currently writes a weekly column for the ''Financial Times'', and writes for her website JancisRobinson.com, updated daily. She ...

, describing the wines as being vaguely similar to

Viognier Viognier () is a white wine grape variety. It is the only permitted grape for the French wine Condrieu in the Rhône Valley.J. Robinson ''"The Oxford Companion to Wine"'' Third Edition pg 754 Oxford University Press 2006 Outside of the Rhôn ...

. Some aromas commonly associated with the grape include peaches 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, 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 dessert wine ''Greco di Bianco'', made in a partial '' passito'' style from grapes that have been partially dried after

harvest Harvesting is the process of gathering a ripe crop from the fields. Reaping is the cutting of grain or pulse for harvest, typically using a scythe, sickle, or reaper. On smaller farms with minimal mechanization, harvesting is the most labor-i ...

. On the island of

Capri Capri ( , ; ; ) is an island located in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the Sorrento Peninsula, on the south side of the Gulf of Naples in the Campania region of Italy. The main town of Capri that is located on the island shares the name. It has been ...

, Greco is usually blended with

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 controllata The following four classifications of wine constitute ...

and

Falanghina Falanghina, also called Falanghina Greco, is a variety of wine grape, ''Vitis vinifera,'' used for white wines. It is an ancient grape variety which may have provided a basis for the classical Falernian wine, and has considerable character.winep ...

to produce dry-style wines. In

Apulia it, Pugliese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographic ...

, it is a permitted blend component in the

Gravina DOC Gravina in Puglia (; nap, label= Barese, Gravéine ; la, Silvium; grc, Σιλούϊον, Siloúïon) is a town and ''comune'' of the Metropolitan City of Bari, Apulia, southern Italy. The word ''gravina'' comes from the Latin ''grava'' or from ...

. In Campania, it is featured in the DOCG wine of ''Greco di Tufo'' produced around the town of Tufo, Provincia di Avellino. It is also permitted in Lacryma Christi produced on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius.

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 Fiano may refer to: Places: * Fiano, Piedmont, a town in Piedmont, Italy * Fiano Romano, a town in Lazio, Italy Viticulture: * Fiano (grape), a white grape variety from Campania, Italy * Fiano di Avellino Fiano is a white Italian wine grape ...

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 soil The soil composition of vineyards is one of the most important viticultural considerations when planting grape vines. The soil supports the root structure of the vine and influences the drainage levels and amount of minerals and nutrients that the ...

s of the region are derived from tuff, a rock formed from volcanic 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 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 Cod ...

usually filling in the remaining blend. According to Master of Wine

Mary Ewing-Mulligan Mary Ewing-Mulligan is an American author, wine educator and Master of Wine, the first American woman to achieve this accreditation.Matasar, Ann B. (2006). ''Women of wine: the rise of women in the global wine industry''. University of California Pr ...

, 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'' 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 in the "toe" of Italy on the

Ionian Ionic or Ionian may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Ionic meter, a poetic metre in ancient Greek and Latin poetry * Ionian mode, a musical mode or a diatonic scale Places and peoples * Ionian, of or from Ionia, an ancient region in western ...

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 The color amber is a pure chroma color, located on the color wheel midway between the colors of yellow and orange. The color name is derived from the material also known as amber, which is commonly found in a range of yellow-orange-brown-red ...

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: *

Bivongi 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 di ...

- Calabrian wine region located along the

Stilaro The Stilaro (in antiquity the Elleporus or possibly Elleporos; in Calabrian dialect ''Stilaru'') 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 n ...

river on the slopes of

Mount Consolino Monte Consolino is a mountain in the Serre Calabresi range, in the Vallata dello Stilaro of south-western Calabria, in southern Italy. Monte Consolino has an altitude of . At the foot of Monte Consolino feet is the town of Stilo. The town of P ...

. For the white wine of Bivongi, Greco can make up to 30-50% of the blend along with Guardavalle, Montonico,

Malvasia bianca 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 ...

and

Ansonica Ansonica or Inzolia is a white Italian wine grape planted primarily in western Sicily where it can be used to produce Marsala wine. The grape is noted for its nutty aroma. In Tuscany, the grape is known as Ansonica. J. Robinson ''Jancis Robinson ...

. *

Capri DOC Capri ( , ; ; ) is an island located in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the Sorrento Peninsula, on the south side of the Gulf of Naples in the Campania region of Italy. The main town of Capri that is located on the island shares the name. It has ...

- 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 Cilento 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. Cilento is known as one of the centers of Mediterranean diet. Geography The co ...

- Campanian wine region located in

Cilento Cilento is an Italian geographical region of Campania in the central and southern part of the Province of Salerno and an important Tourism, tourist area of southern Italy. Cilento is known as one of the centers of Mediterranean diet. Geograph ...

of the province of Salerno. 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. 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 Gaglioppo 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 Uncinula necator, oidium and peronospora. The grape produces wine that is full-bodied, ...

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. *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,

Bianco d'Alessano ''Bianco d'Alessano'' is a white Italian wine grape variety that is grown in the Apulia region of southern Italy, where it is often blended with Verdeca. In the early 21st century, the grape was planted in the South Australian wine region of River ...

, Bombino bianco, Trebbiano and

Verdeca Verdeca is a white Italian wine grape variety that is primarily grown in Apulia in southern Italy where ampelographers believe that the grape may have originated. In Apulia, it is one of the main grapes in the ''Denominazione di origine contro ...

. * Melissa DOC - Calabrian DOC around the city of Melissa. 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 it, Molisano (man) it, Molisana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 ...

- This large DOC covers the entire mountainous Molise region located south of

Abruzzi Abruzzo (, , ; nap, label=Neapolitan language, Abruzzese Neapolitan, Abbrùzze , ''Abbrìzze'' or ''Abbrèzze'' ; nap, label=Sabino dialect, Aquilano, Abbrùzzu; #History, historically Abruzzi) is a Regions of Italy, region of Southern Italy wi ...

. The region attained DOC status in 1998 and is one of the few Italian regions that are permitted to have varietally 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 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 ...

- Campanian wine region located in the hill center of the region that overlaps partially with the historical grape-growing region of Samnium. Here Greco is used for both still wines and a ''Spumante'' style wine produced with the

classical method Classical may refer to: European antiquity * Classical antiquity, a period of history from roughly the 7th or 8th century B.C.E. to the 5th century C.E. centered on the Mediterranean Sea * Classical architecture, architecture derived from Greek a ...

of sparkling wine 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. 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,

Chardonnay Chardonnay (, , ) is a green-skinned grape variety used in the production of white wine. The variety originated in the Burgundy wine region of eastern French wine, France, but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from English wine, Englan ...

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 A rosé () is a type of wine that incorporates some of the color from the grape skins, but not enough to qualify it as a red wine. It may be the oldest known type of wine, as it is the most straightforward to make with the skin contact method. ...

'' wines of Bivongi, Greco is permitted to make 30-50% of the blend along with Gaglioppo, Nocera, Nero d'Avola and Castiglione. * Campidano di Terralba DOC - Sardinian wine region located on the plains of Campidano on the island's west coast. Greco is permitted to make up to 20% of the blend along with

Bovale di Spagna Bovale is a name attributed to two Italian wine grape varieties that are known more commonly by their Spanish names. The most widely planted is Bovale Grande (Carignan/Mazuelo Carignan (also known as Mazuelo, Bovale Grande, Cariñena, ...

, Bovale Sardo, Pascale di Cagliari and

Monica Monica may refer to: People *Monica (actress) (born 1987), Indian film actress *Monica (given name), a given name (including a list of people and characters with the name) *Monica (singer) (born 1980), American R&B singer, songwriter, producer, ...

. * Donnici DOC - Calabrian wine region located around the city of

Cosenza Cosenza (; local dialect: ''Cusenza'', ) is a city in Calabria, Italy. The city centre has a population of approximately 70,000; the urban area counts more than 200,000 inhabitants. It is the capital of the Province of Cosenza, which has a populati ...

. Greco is permitted to make up to 10-20% of the blend along with Gaglioppo, Malvasia bianca and Pecorello. * Lamezia DOC - Calabrian wine region located around the city of Lamezia Terme. 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 southernmost wine-producing region on Calabria located in the foothills around

Monte Pollino The Pollino (Italian: ''Massiccio del Pollino'') is a massif in the southern Apennines, on the border between Basilicata and Calabria, southern Italy. It became part of the Pollino National Park in 1992. The main peaks include Monte Pollino (2,2 ...

. 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

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.Vitis International Variety Catalogue (VIVC)
Greco
Accessed: December 15th, 2009

References

{{reflist, 2 White wine grape varieties