White wine grape variety grown in Apulia

Garganega b.

The grape variety Garganega b., quite common in Italy, is also present in Apulia, where it is registered as a suitable variety throughout Apulia.

Origin and Historical Outline

The first certain information concerning the grape variety Garganega b. date back to 1495, the year in which Pier de Crescenti cites it as a fine wine of Bolognese and Padovano. Subsequently, its cultivation has affected a large part of Veneto, and then also spread to other regions of Italy, including Puglia.


Synonyms

Garganega di Gambellara, Garganega comune, Grecanico, Lizzara, Ora o D’oro, Ostesa. 


Shoot tip: hardly expanded, whitish-green with pink or pink-purplish hues along the margins, fluffy.

Leaf: medium to medium-large, pentalobate, pen tagonal, slightly elongated, slightly bullate along the margins. More or less open, V or U-shaped petiole sinus. Closed U-shaped upper lateral sinuses, or with slightly overlapping lobes; not very deep, open lower lateral sinuses. Pale green upper side, sparsely bullate, hairless, arachnoid bottom side.

Bunch: medium-large, cylindrical or pyramidshaped, winged, with a highly developed wing, quite loose.

Berry: medium-small, sub-spheroidal. More or less bright golden yellow or even amber skin,

pruinose, coriaceous. Flesh with a neutral taste.

Time of bud burst: intermediate-late

Flowering time: intermediate

Veraison: intermediate

Ripening: intermediate

Vigour: high-medium

Average bunch weight: 330 g (min 210 g – max 470 g)

Average berry weight: 1.6 g (min 1.4 g – max 2 g)

Number of seeds per berry: 1 2

Average rachis weight: 18 g

Fertility of buds: 1 – 2

Potential fertility: 1.6

Actual fertility: 1.2

Produces best results on fertile, loose soil with a good exposure. Owing to its high vigour and distal fertility of buds, it requires abundant and long pruning. Therefore well-suited to being trained high. Rich and consistent yield.

Alcoholic content: 9.5 – 11.5 % by vol.

pH: 3.2 – 3.5

Total acidity: 5 – 8 g/l

In Apulia it is used exclusively for the production of wine; in other regions, however, it was sometimes used for direct consumption. By storing the grapes in the drying room, it can then be used to make special still and liqueur wines. It is one of the main components of well-known PDO wines from other regions.
The vinification of Garganega b. grapes can produce a good quality table wine, straw yellow in colour, lightly perfumed, with a dry, slightly bitterish taste, medium-bodied and well balanced.

The vinification of the grapes from this vine produces good-quality table wines; they display a straw yellow colour, a light scent, dry, slightly bitter taste, medium body, balanced.

The Garganega b. vine is present in Apulia and is registered as a variety suitable for cultivation throughout the region.

Antonacci Donato
antonacci.dona@gmail.com

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