Categorization Theory

Question 1

What percentage of all world’s wine grapes are Italian ?

Answer 1

Roughly 30%.

Question 2

How many grape varieties are officially recognised in Italy?

Answer 2

590

Some are awaiting definitive genetic identification , so a ballpark estimate is 600 to 1,000 native Italian varieties TBC.

Ian d’Agata’s “Native Wine Grapes of Italy” lists 541 grapes, and 4 more have been identified since.

Question 3

What categories can grape varieties be divided into?

Answer 3

• native (autochthonous or indigenous)
• international (allochthonous or foreign)
• traditional