RARE GRAPE VARIETAL RESOURCE

History: Cargarello, Drupeggio, and Canaiolo Bianco refer to the same traditional Italian white grape variety, though their usage depends heavily on the region

Cargarello receives a distinct listing in the Vitis International Variety Catalogue (VIVC) —the definitive global database for grapevine genetics— because it is an officially recognized, genetically verified white wine grape variety from Italy. In the VIVC "Drupeggio" and "Canaiolo Bianco" are not given separate "official recognition" because they are classified as synonyms. The VIVC operates strictly on the rule that every unique genotype gets exactly one "Prime Name" to keep international viticulture data organized. Even if a grape is historically famous under other names in specific regions, all variations are collapsed into a single profile. Cargarello is recorded in wine lexicons as a direct local synonym for Drupeggio in Emilia Romagna.

According to DNA analyses carried out in 2021, it originates from a presumably natural cross between Semidano x unknown father variety.

While Cargarello holds the global genetic crown in the VIVC, Italy’s own National Registry of Grape Varieties officially registers the vine under the name Canaiolo Bianco B. (Code 048), recognizing Drupeggio as its legal synonym for commercial wine labeling.

Drupeggio: a mid to late ripening grape variety is the primary name used in Umbria, especially within the Orvieto DOC blend, where it adds body and structure. Primarily used as a supporting grape in central Italian white blends (like Orvieto). With relatively thick skins for a white grape variety, Drupeggio berries tend not to raisin very easily which makes it use in the production of passito or straw wines, such as Vin Santo, very rare even though it is a permitted variety in several DOCs for the dessert wine. Hectares devoted to Drupeggio are decreasing.

Canaiolo Bianco: Often used as a synonym for Drupeggio in parts of Umbria and Lazio, though historically, "Canaiolo Bianco", known in Tuscany since 1817, was loosely applied to a few different white varieties. However, official ampelographical and clone research links the true-to-type Canaiolo Bianco directly to Drupeggio. The late-ripening, high-yielding vine produces a yellow-green wine. It was long assumed that Canaiolo Bianco was a color mutation of Canaiolo (Nero). However DNA studies published in 2011 have disproved this.

Canaiolo Bianco was registered in the National Catalogue of Grapevine Varieties in 1970.

Sources: (https://glossary.wein.plus/drupeggio ); (https://www.wine-searcher.com/grape-863-canaiolo-bianco); (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drupeggio) & (http://catalogoviti.politicheagricole.it/result.php?codice=048 )

VIVC: https://www.vivc.de/index.php?r=passport%2Fview&id=2092

Parentage: Semidano &?

Tasting notes: Delicate notes of fresh white flowers, green apple, lemon, and yellow pear, accompanied by subtle hints of almond.

Dry and light- to medium-bodied with medium-high acidity and no tannins. It offers a balanced, neutral, and refreshing profile.

Source: (https://sommo.app/grape-varieties/canaiolo-bianco/)

Food Pairings:

• Pumpkin-stuffed pasta
• Tuna carpaccio with capers
• Clams with garlic

Source: (https://www.wine-searcher.com/grape-863-canaiolo-bianco)

Production areas: Orvieto DOC, Bianco di Toscana iGT

Producers: https://www.autoctovino.com/grape/cargarello-drupeggio-canaiolo-bianco/