Genetic characterization of grapevine varieties from Emilia-Romagna (Northern Italy) discloses unexplored genetic resources

A set of 178 grape accessions collected in Emilia Romagna, from widely cultivated to nearly extinct and thus maintained in ex situ regional repositories, were analyzed at 10 microsatellite (Simple Sequence Repeat [SSR]) markers for correct identification. Ampelographic and local historic data were also gathered. Varietal iden-tity was established through comparison with reference SSR profiles, often supported by vine morphology. The work demonstrated the presence in the region, under local (often confusing) names, of varieties common in other regions/countries but also identified many local, unique genotypes worthy of preservation. Forty-nine percent of the investigated varieties corresponded to cultivars included in the Italian National Catalogue of Grape Varieties or were of likely foreign origin, while 62 of the 122 unique genotypes are not reported or described in the literature, except in historic documents. These likely belong to local germplasm, possibly native to the area. Some of these neglected varieties, like Pellegrina, Biondello, and Rossiola, are prospective candidates for market exploitation of varietal wines. The approach used here, based on varietal identification by SSR markers supported by ampelography and historic evidence, represents a key step in the study and development of local grape varieties.