Page 11 - E-libru (extrait)

- Esistenu dunque dui vitigni : quellu chì dà l’uva rossa è quellu chì dà l’uva bianca...
- Ùn simu più à duì ! ma à millaie ! Esistenu una mansa di vitigni chì si ponu sparte in duie categurie : i vitigni detti «neri» (megliu à dì «neri» che «rossi») è i ‘bianchi’. Ognunu hà u so gustu particulare. Vedi, qui, simu in una lenza di vigna posta à vitignu neru chjamatu Sciaccarellu. In e lenze vicine quallà, ci si trova u Niellucciu, un altru vitignu ‘neru’, eppo u Vermentinu...
- Humm... à mio preferita à mè hè st’uva bianca chì nasce vicinu à a casa.
- Quessa, ghjè u to babbone chì l’hà posta. E u so babbu n’avia postu dinù nanzu à ellu. A nostra famiglia campa in l’ambiu di a vigna ma quessa, si pò forse dì per tutta l’umanità.
- A chì epica l’omu hà cumminciatu à fà cultura di a vigna ?
- Bellu nanzu à l’epica cristiana, forse ver di u settesimu millenariu, a vigna salvatica hè stata pocu à pocu messa in cultura. I primi fatti di st’attività sò attestati in Georgia, in a serra di u Caucase. Ammaestrata dà i populi di l’Asia occidentale (I Summeriani, i Babbiluniani, l’Assiriani, l’Egizziani, l’Ebrei, I Feniciani...) a cultura di a vigna s’hè spannata in tuttu u Mediterraniu. À l’iniziu, i Grechi fubbenu i primi vignaghjoli. Sò stati sustituiti in lu so fattu civilizadore dà i Rumani : prima in Sicilia è in tutta l’Italia meridiunale, eppò in e regione mediterranie di Francia è di Spania fin’à e sponde di l’Atlanticu. Si pò dì che no campemu quì in u veculu di a vigna...
-There are, therefore, two grape varieties: One that makes red grapes and the other that makes green grapes...
-Many more than that! There are thousands of grape varieties divided into two principle categories: The « black » varietals (We say black but they are actually « red ») and the « white ». Each varietal possesses different specific tastes. The vine plot where we are now is made up of black grape varieties called Sciaccarellu. In the plots over there you will find Niellucciu, which is also a “black” grape variety called Vermentinu...
-Yummy...my favourite grapes, that grow close to home! Those ones are white.
-Exactly, it was your grandfather that planted these vines here. Like his own father that came before him. For a very long time, that vine has been part of our family. But also part of humanity.
-When were the first vines planted?
-The progressive transformation of the wild vine into cultivated vine was most probably undertaken starting in the 7th millennium BC. The oldest traces of cultivated vines were found in Georgia, in the Caucus Mountains. Cultivated by the Western Asian peoples (Sumerians, Babylonians, Assyrians, Egyptians, Hebrew and Phoenicians...) the cultivation of the vine achieved its fullest potential on the banks of the Mediterranean Sea. The Greeks, who were the forerunners for viticulture in Mediterranean Europe were followed in their civilizing actions by the Romans: At first in Sicily and Southern Italy, then the Mediterranean regions of France and Spain and then the banks of the Atlantic ocean. Right here, in a certain way, we are in the birthplace of wine...
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