The Ancient Roots of Modern Winemaking

When you think of Chianti, you probably imagine the region’s dry red wine. Made from the Sangiovese grape, which gets its name from the Latin sanguis Jovis or “blood of Jupiter,” it’s the dominant varietal in the region today. But that wasn’t always the case. According to a new study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, Chianti once produced a much different vintage.

A team of researchers led by archaeologists from the University of York recently analyzed grape seeds excavated from the bottom of a well in Cetamura del Chianti, an ancient settlement in the Tuscan wine region that was part of the extensive Roman viticulture network. Though the seeds were over 2,000 years old (dating to somewhere between 300 B.C. and 300 A.D., they were submerged in mud and fairly well preserved by the oxygen-free environment.

An analysis of the grape seeds’ DNA revealed a few surprises. Most of the seeds belonged to a single cultivar that passed from the Etruscans to the Romans. It also wasn’t red at all. Mutations in the genetic pathways that produce anthocyanin, the pigment that gives grapes their deep red coloration, showed they were white grapes. By comparing the genetic sequences in the Cetamura seeds to other ancient species, the team discovered they were closely related to two Roman seeds cultivated in the South of France.