The Greeks? No! An indigenous population in southern Italy cultivated the grapevine first

The Greeks? No, they were not the ones who introduced viticulture to our country. On the contrary, new studies revealed a population in the hinterland of southern Italy founded a civilization on viticulture. Data indicate it was the third Center of domesticating the vine and accumulating varieties, developed in the 2nd millennium BC, contrary to recent attempts indicating that the grapevine would have reached the Peninsula from the Alps through the East. The study, “In the mountains of Enotria. Ancient form of the territory and viticultural landscape in the Alta Val d’Agri” is one of the latest discoveries from Basilicata that is revolutionizing the most accredited theories, to date, on the origin of the grape vine in Italy and the history of viticulture, published by the Military Geographic Institute, in the broader research project, “Enotria, Grumentum and the wines of the Alta Val d’Agri”. The publication is the result of years of work coordinated by Stefano Del Lungo, archaeologist and researcher at ISPC CNR, together with Angelo Raffaele Caputo, agronomist and researcher at CREA VE. The Consortium for the Protection of the DOC Terre dell’Alta Val d’Agri has promoted the research since 2008, as the basis for companies and communities of the Denomination on the path of reappropriation, sustainable usage and enhancing a unique wine terroir.
One of the discoveries described and proven in the publication, revealed that populations inhabiting the central-southern Apennine chain evolved from contacts with the Mycenaeans starting in the16th century BC onwards. Their descendants appeared to be highly advanced and expert winemakers in the eyes of the Greek colonists who landed on the Ionian coasts in the second half of the eighth century BC. The “Odyssey” maintained the surprise and sensations felt at the other end of the route to the West, when they found the “wine-colored sea” of the populations narrated in Mycenaean maritime legends, skilled in extracting and processing metals as well as in agriculture. Therefore, the widespread images so dear to narratives about the history of wine have disappeared, together with the Greek civilizations’ derision of danger that dominated the newly conquered lands with their cultural superiority, bringing with them the vine and wine. In their place, instead, as they were mostly interested in preserving their positions secured at sea, a more concrete process took over, as different peoples and cultures met, exchanged plants and information, learned, increased and refined the ability to grow vines, select them and produce wine.
There are cattle paths along the main rivers in the Basilicata Region, and following them against the current, you will reach the hinterland, far from the coast. The most daring settlers from Syrites (from Siris, near Policoro) and then Sybarites (from Sibari) took these paths, following the Agri river backwards, from its mouth to its source, reaching vineyards at the highest level, hence the name, Terre di Alta Val d’Agri DOC. The results of the research have been collected and revised in the publication. They followed the only possible way to truly reconstruct a terroir, the pedological and environmental investigations conducted in the upper and middle valleys, the ampelographic examinations and the genetic-molecular analyses interacting with the Historical, Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, from the Mycenaean period to the Roman era, relating viticultural landscapes, the shape of the territory, varieties, vineyards, millstones and cellar-caves, concentrated primarily in the intermediate and final portion of the river. The main goal is to make a larger public aware of the viticultural biodiversity heritage, the landscape and cultural diversity and productive potential of a terroir, a much more accurate varietal definition of native vines (for instance, Giosana, Iusana or Zimellone bianco, small berry Malvasia, white Aglianico or Ghiandara, Colatammurro, in addition to Santa Sofia and Plavina, that come from outside the Region but are equally traditional in spite of appearances), being produced again, following the success of experimental wine-making. The result is to create a web of new concepts, based on the critical exegesis of textual sources, archaeological findings and linking genetic-historical data. This rediscovery has renewed classical authors’ awkward consideration of the difficulty in identifying and describing them, and the fame they quickly achieved, with the Lucanum label, as Cato the Censor testified at the beginning of the 2nd century BC. The merit of achieving such groundbreaking results and confirming them, goes to the highly respected and prestigious research team: Antonio Affuso, archaeologist, specialized in Prehistory, Vittorio Alba, agronomist researcher at CREA (Ve), Angelo Raffaele Caputo, agronomic researcher at CREA (Ve), Teodora Cicchelli, archaeologist, specialized in the Classical Era, Pasquale Cirigliano, agronomist researcher at CREA (Ve), Marica Gasparro, biologist researcher at CREA (Ve), Dorangela Graziano, graduate in Management and Conservation of Archival and Libraries Heritage, Agata Maggio, demo-ethno-anthropologist and librarian of the CNR (ISPC), Francesco Mazzone, winemaker at CREA (Ve), Addolorata Preite, archaeologist, specialized in Prehistory and Protohistory, Sabino Roccotelli, agricultural expert (viticulture and oenology ) at CREA (Ve), and Annarita Sannazzaro, archaeologist at CNR (ISPC). Now, it's time to communicate these research developments and give them the widespread diffusion that years of study and work by many professionals deserve, as well as the fundamental work of the DOC Terre dell'Alta Val d’Agri Consortium, from 2008 to today, ensuring that the entire research project was completed.