Aversano Riccardo, Basile Boris, Buonincontri Mauro Paolo, Carucci Francesca, Carputo Domenico, Frusciante Luigi, Di Pasquale Gaetano
Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Portici, Italy.
PLoS One. 2017 Nov 15;12(11):e0186298. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0186298. eCollection 2017.
Although domestication of the grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) has been extensively documented, the history of genotype selection and evolution of vineyard management remain relatively neglected fields of study. The find of 454 waterlogged grapevine pips from a well-dated Etrusco-Roman site in the Chianti district (Tuscany, Central Italy) is an extraordinary chance to gain insights into the progress of viticulture occurring in a key historical period in one of the world's most famous wine regions. The molecular and geometrical analyses of grape seeds showed (a) the presence in the site of different grapevine individuals and (b) a sudden increase in pip size, occurring at around 200 BC, whic explainable by the selection and introduction of new varieties. In this period, the Etruscans settlers in Chianti were stimulated by northward-expanding Roman culture to use novel vineyard management practices. We hypothesize that one of the most important innovations may have been the introduction of pruning, inducing vine physiological conditions more favorable to pip growth. Such changes were the consequence of specific entrepreneurial choices made by the Romans in a period of economic investment in grape cultivation and wine making to satisfy the increased trade demand after the conquest of the Central-Western Mediterranean basin.
尽管葡萄（欧亚种葡萄）的驯化已有大量文献记载，但葡萄园管理中基因型选择和演变的历史仍是相对被忽视的研究领域。在基安蒂地区（意大利中部托斯卡纳）一个年代确定的伊特鲁里亚 - 罗马遗址中发现454颗水浸葡萄种子，这是一个绝佳机会，可深入了解世界最著名葡萄酒产区之一在关键历史时期葡萄栽培的发展情况。对葡萄籽的分子和几何分析表明：（a）该遗址存在不同的葡萄个体；（b）葡萄籽大小在公元前200年左右突然增大，这可通过新品种的选择和引入来解释。在此期间，基安蒂地区的伊特鲁里亚定居者受到向北扩张的罗马文化刺激，采用了新的葡萄园管理方法。我们推测，最重要的创新之一可能是引入了修剪技术，这使得葡萄藤的生理条件更有利于种子生长。这些变化是罗马人在对葡萄种植和酿酒进行经济投资的时期做出的特定企业选择的结果，目的是满足征服中西部地中海盆地后不断增长的贸易需求。
