Etruscan Wine Makers Cloned a Single Grape Variety for Hundreds of Years

Archaeology Magazine ^ | June 15, 2026 | editors / unattributed

[SunkenCiv]

According to a statement released by the University of York, analysis of grape seeds recovered from mud at the bottom of wells carved into the rock at the Etruscan and Roman site of Cetamura del Chianti suggests that vintners there cloned vines that produced white berries. Oya Inanli of the University of York said that a majority of the seeds in the study were dated to between 300 B.C. and A.D. 300 and belonged to this single variety of grape. After the Romans conquered central Italy, new varieties of grapes were introduced to the site. The study also showed that the Etruscan's white-berry variety was related to grapes grown in southern France, indicating that the Romans developed an agricultural trade network to standardize wine production. Another 2,000-year-old grape variety identified at Cetamura has been linked to grapes still grown today in Central and Eastern Europe, including a 400-year-old vine still producing fruit in Slovenia. Go the Journal of Archaeological Science to read the original academic paper describing the research. To read in-depth about Roman rites celebrating the god of wine, go to "Pompeii's House of Dionysian Delights."

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TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: agriculture; ancientnavigation; cetamuradelchianti; dietandcuisine; etruscans; godsgravesglyphs; helixmakemineadouble; oenology; romanempire; slovenia; zymurgy

[SunkenCiv]

Grape pips, Cetamura del Chianti, Italy

Courtesy Nancy Thomson de Grummond

[SunkenCiv]

Swill the wine, date that girl. Wait, that doesn't sound quite right...

[Dr. Sivana]

Just a note of thanks. Your posts show that FReepers aren’t just about politics and nothing but politics. You manage to find several interesting and out-of-the-way stories every day. You just hit a twofer with the Spanish helmets AND ancient Etruscan grapes.

Rush Limbaugh used to have a regular caller from “The Keepers of Odd Knowledge”. Your posts put you in that bracket, and we are all the better for it.

[Paladin2]

Show me the heavily oaked Bordeauxs....

[Red Badger]

If you can’t trust an Etruscan who can you trust?.........

[SunkenCiv]

I first encountered the Etruscans in the high school library in the early 70s, an article "The Etruscans: An Historic People Who Left No History". As I've gotten older and chubby, the old Roman pejorative *obesus Etruscus* has been resonating with me. 😊

[SunkenCiv]

Brigette Bordeaux might make a good screen name.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks for the kind remarks! I managed to get a bit behind the past couple of weeks, what passes for regular life etc. I konked out in the recliner last night, fairly early, having the presence of mind to put the old (now a backup) CPAP on, and waking about 2 AM. Seemed like a good time to catch up with the Archaeology website, they had tons, including the two Etruscan articles. There's about three others about various tombs, a couple of Neolithic finds, and much more.

[Red Badger]

I don’t think they just disappeared, they were absorbed into the Roman culture early on................

[Rockingham]

Rome have been founded as a Etruscan settlement among Latins and Sabines. An introduced Etruscan line of kings suggests this, as do institutions and religious and other cultural elements of apparent Etruscan origin.

[dennisw]

Etruscan stuck with what works. I do this but also try other ways. The Romans were growing wine grapes in England. Which is tricky these days.
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Ancient Origins
https://www.ancient-origins.net › news-history-archaeology
Make Wine Not War: Digs in England Reveal 1st Century …
Jan 17, 2026 · Nevertheless, it would seem the Romans brought the secrets of grape growing and wine production to England, …

[Adder]

The pips without Gladys are just seedy...

[MayflowerMadam]

“The pips without Gladys are just seedy...”

Here they are, w/o Gladys, on an old Richard Pryor show. Starting a little before Mark 2:50 is very funny.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NP0bot4-qmM

[SunkenCiv]

The Richard Pryor Show | The Pips (without Glady Knight) | 1977
3:55 | Official Richard Pryor | 114K subscribers | 37,861 views | May 6, 2023

[SunkenCiv]

Whoops! Thanks!

[SunkenCiv]

Yup. British climate was warmer for a few centuries, making that possible.

[SunkenCiv]

The Romans picked up some civil engineering skills from the Etruscans, particularly building roads and canals.

The Romans proved to be even better at it.

The Roman games outgrew their origin as funereal rites, a practice the Romans picked up from the Etruscans.

[Rockingham]

Tuscany today seems to have the best and most celebrated quality of life of any area of Italy. When post Risorgimento Italy fashioned a modern, unified Italian language, they based it on the Tuscan dialect and the works of poet and scholar Petrarch.