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A grape variety popular in ancient Greece has been rediscovered in the tropical climate of the Dominican Republic. Professor Alain Delore of the Institut Agro Montpellier is investigating the possibilities of viticulture on the Caribbean island on behalf of the Dominican Republic's Ministry of Agriculture. The staff of the Instituto Nacional de la Uva (Inuva) showed him a grape variety that is cultivated on a few hectares in the province of Bahoruco. It is used to produce a fruity red wine for family consumption. "It was explained to me that it had come to the country together with the first settlers in the 17th century," Delore reports. He had some leaves analysed in France. It turned out to be the ancient Greek grape variety Heftakilo, which has been cultivated for more than 2,000 years and has been propagated un-grafted in the Dominican Republic for at least 300 years by cuttings.
The ampelographer Thierry Lacombe explained that Heftakilo is very fertile and was therefore widespread throughout the Mediterranean region. It was the origin of several other traditional Greek, Italian, Spanish and North African grape varieties, including Muscat d'Alexandrie, he said. "Because of its rich history, we can understand why Heftakilo travelled across the Atlantic. The settlers in America had been growing it in their own countries for a long time," says Thierry Lacombe. Today, the variety only exists in ampelographic collections.
(al / source: vitisphere)