Overview
- Researchers sequenced DNA from 80 grape seeds recovered at Cetamura del Chianti and published the results in the Journal of Archaeological Science in June 2026.
- Most of the high-quality genomes belonged to a single, identical grape clone that persisted across centuries, showing direct continuity from Etruscan into Roman cultivation.
- Genetic markers indicate the dominant clone most likely produced white grapes, overturning expectations that ancient Chianti was dominated by red varieties.
- The team found new grape varieties appear after Roman control and detected signs of some wild grape gathering using pip-shape analysis.
- Close genetic matches link the Cetamura clone to two ancient seeds from southern France and to a grape family still grown in Central and Eastern Europe, showing how Roman networks spread vines and leaving living echoes in modern varieties such as a Hungarian look-alike and the Maribor vine.