QUAGLIANO
Highly localized Piemontese making light, sweet, perfumed reds.
Berry colour: black
ORIGINS AND PARENTAGE
Quagliano is an old variety from the region of Saluzzo in Piemonte, north-west Italy, first mentioned in 1721 in the commune of Busca, about 60 km south west of Torino, and then in 1749 in Costigliole Saluzzo, a few kilometres north of Busca. Recent DNA parentage analysis has suggested, very unexpectedly and questionably, that Quagliano is a possible parent of IMPIGNO from Puglia (Cipriani et al. 2010).
VITICULTURAL CHARACTERISTICS
Vigorous, late ripening and susceptible to botrytis bunch rot.
WHERE IT’S GROWN AND WHAT ITS WINE TASTES LIKE
Quagliano is grown only in the province of Cuneo in Piemonte, north-west Italy, mainly in its region of origin between Busca and Costigliole, but also in the communes of Pagno, Piasco, Manta, Verzulo, Brondello, Castellar and Saluzzo. Quagliano’s local fame is illustrated by the eco-museum at the Poderi del Palas di Chiotti Diego and by the local Sagra dell’Uva Quagliano festival, which has taken place in Costigliole Saluzzo every September since 1928. However, there were fewer than 10 ha (25 acres) of these vines in Italy in 2000, according to the agricultural census.
Interesting varietal dessert wines, in the style of Brachetto (see BRACHETTO DEL PIEMONTE), with aromas of violets and roses and a sweet taste of strawberries, are produced by the likes of Tomatis Dario and Giordanino Teresio. Poderi del Palas di Chiotti Diego make a low-alcohol (7–8%) sparkling version. All are within the Colline Saluzzesi DOC.
QUEBRANTA
Also called Quebranta Peruana, this is a traditional red-skinned variety from Peru, where it is grown mainly to produce pisco, the national grape spirit, but also for rosé or red table wines at varying sweetness levels for domestic consumption. Recent DNA parentage analysis (This et al. 2006) has shown that Quebranta is a natural cross between LISTÁN PRIETO (under the name Mission) and NEGRAMOLL (under the name Negra Mole), which makes it a half-sibling of the other South American varieties CEREZA, TORRONTÉS SANJUANINO and TORRONTÉS RIOJANO (see MUSCAT pedigree diagram).