Shoot tip: expanded-medium, velvety, pale green, sometimes with a light carmine margin or pink bronze hues.

Leaf: medium-large, pentagonal, trilobate or pentalobate, with open U-shaped petiole sinus; deep, closed upper lateral sinuses with overlapping margins; narrow V-shaped lower lateral sinuses, if present. Flat smooth blade, or slightly bullate. Hairless upper side, bottom side between arachnoid and slightly tomentose.

Bunch: medium-high weight, cylindrical-pyramid-shaped, often also winged (one or two wings), medium dense or dense.

Berry: medium-low weight, spheroidal or slightly oval, abundantly pruinose skin, blue-black colour, medium thick, juicy flesh with neutral taste, with a peculiar aroma reminiscent of marasca cherries.

Time of bud burst: intermediate

Flowering time: intermediate

Veraison: early-intermediate

Ripening: intermediate

Vigour: good

Average bunch weight: 490 g (min 230 g – max 880 g)

Average berry weight: 2.8 g (min 1.9 g – max 3.8 g)

Number of seeds per berry: 2 4

Average rachis weight: 25 g

Fertility of buds: 1 – 2

Potential fertility: 1.4

Actual fertility: 1.2

Adapts to various environments, yielding the best products in hilly areas, on not too fertile soils, in a temperatewarm, dry climate, where an optimum vegetative-pro ductive balance can be achieved. On very fertile soils and trained high, it ensures high, but less qualified yields. It features a moderate basal fertility, therefore long pruning is preferable.

 Alcoholic content: 11 – 13 % by vol.

pH: 3.10 – 3.50

Total acidity: 5 – 7.5 g/l

The Ciliegiolo n. vine is used exclusively for vinification, most frequently in blends and also for the preparation of ‘vino novello’, nouveau wine.
In Apulia, if vinified as a single variety, it gives a full-bodied wine, robust and alcoholic, but sometimes lacking in acidity and therefore more or less flat, with a deep ruby red colour and a neutral flavour, with a slight aroma reminiscent of marasca cherries, which makes it appreciated in blends.

The Cilieigiolo n. is present in Apulia, especially in the centre and north of the region, although not in significant amounts.

Antonacci Donato
antonacci.dona@gmail.com

The data sheet of the Ciliegiolo n., revised and updated, is extracted from: Antonacci Donato (2006). Viti di Puglia, Adda publisher. Its use is granted by the author citing the source.