Wild grapevine (Vitis sylvestris C.C.Gmel.) wines from the Southern Caucasus region

Abstract

Grapevine domestication took place in the Caucasus area known as the Cradle of Viticulture, within or near the geographical area known as the Vavilov Triangle. The phytogenetic resources of Vitis sylvestris C.C.Gmel. have been previously collected and characterized, but the study on micro vinifications of wild grapevines from the Caucasus is new. In the present document, seven grape samples from female individuals of wild grapevine growing in the South Caucasus region were investigated to assess their oenological profile. Wine samples were obtained from the grapes collected from various populations of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia in October 2013 and fermented by the native yeasts. Parameters determined in the wines were, among others, concentration of ethanol (3.63% – 10.15%), pH (3.30 – 4.20), total acidity (1.2 – 10.7 g/L of tartaric acid), total polyphenol index (1.81 – 89.8), and color intensity (2.59 – 20.76). This wide range values is due to the different environmental conditions, the level of ripeness of harvested grapes and their genetic diversity. These data were compared with those obtained in micro vinifications of wild grapevines in Western Europe and wines of several international cultivars. The results of our research demonstrated, that the must of wild grape could be used to improve traditional wines giving to them more coloration.

Keywords

• micro vinification
• river-bank forests
• ethnobotany
• Vitis vinifera L. ssp. sylvestris (Gmelin) Hegi
• wine
• Caucasus