page_title: Abrusco
section_title: Viticulture and winemaking
hierarchical_section_title: Abrusco / Viticulture and winemaking
caption_attribution_description: Grapevines in the Chianti wine zone of Tuscany in Central Italy
context_page_description: Abrusco is a red Italian wine grape variety grown primarily in the Tuscany region where it is a minor blending component permitted in the wines of Chianti. The grape has long history in the region and was mentioned in 1600, under its synonyms Abrostino and Colore, in the posthumously published work by Italian agronomist Giovan Vettorio Soderini Trattato della coltivazione delle viti, e del frutto che se ne può cavare. There Soderini notes that the grape was often used to add deeper, more red color to Tuscan wines.
  The variety is considered quite rare and is close to extinction with only 6 hectares of the grape variety reported in the 2000 Italian census. The Tuscan producer Le Tre Stelle has worked to keep the variety still viable, producing a limited production Indicazione geografica tipica wine made of 100% Abrusco from 20 vines that were discovered growing among other varieties in an old vineyard owned by the winery. Another Tuscan producer Ferlaino is also working with the centre of research and development for Tuscany to produce wines of 100% Abrusco from 0.2 hectares of land on their estate in Cetona, Siena.
context_section_description: The Abrusco vine produces dark, bluish-black grape berries with a pale colored flesh. It is considered a mid-ripening variety that is usually harvested in the middle of the vintage season between the early ripening  Ciliegiolo and the late ripening Sangiovese.
  The grape is noted for producing wines with a deep, dark color that has often lend itself as a blending variety for other, more pale-colored varieties such as Sangiovese. As a varietal, Abrusco tends to produce well-structured wines with spicy aroma and flavor notes.
caption: Abrusco is a minor blending grape grown in the Chianti zone (vineyard pictured) in Tuscany.
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