Oldest wine grape in production

[wineguruchgo]

Hello everyone,

One of my waiters asked me yesterday what the oldest wine grape, still in production, is. I'm thinking it might be Greek, some of the older Italian varietals or the obscure ones from the Czec Republic.

Any thoughts? I tried doing a google search and I'm not coming up with much.

Thanks a bunch!

[Thomas]

Until tests are done on every existing wine grape, and until excavating the world is complete, that question will remain without a definitive answer.

Added to the problem are the millennia that have passed during which grapes have been cross pollinated and hybridized.

There are of course zillions of claims that this one or that one is the oldest...

[This message has been edited by foodie (edited 08-10-2004).]

[Bucko]

Ask WW -- it is rumored that he stomped the very first wine grapes ever.

[Thomas]

Oh Guru, one more thing:
Since so far Mesopotamia, Armenia, Iran and Georgia have been identified as having produced wine about 8,000 years ago, that is where I would begin to look for the oldest grape variety that might still be in production.

Greece came to wine through contact with Phoenicians, who got their wine knowledge from Syria, who got theirs from Mesopotamia--so the story goes.

Incidentally, I lived in Tehran in the 70s--great Rieslings produced near the mountains identified as among the oldest wine-producing regions. Maybe Riesling is the oldest one!!!

[This message has been edited by foodie (edited 08-10-2004).]

[winoweenie]

My earliest recollection is of a hybred called dollicifius which came from the
Agean area. Made a killer drink known locally as " Doll-i-ci-fi-ussummmmm". Perfect with chinken.WW [img]http://wines.com/ubb2/wink.gif[/img]

[wineguruchgo]

Thanks guys. Glad I didn't miss something out there that was obvious.

Yes I understand hybrids and cloning makes it really difficult. I'm sure they are looking for it! Maybe DNA will help!

I appreiate your help.