Coda di Pecora
A Campanian white grape long mistaken for Coda di Volpe.
In the Campania region of southern Italy, especially around Caserta, a white wine grape called Coda di Pecora is grown. Its local dialect name translates to "goat's tail." For a long time, experts believed it was simply a clone of another local white grape, Coda di Volpe, which means "foxtail."
Quick Facts
- Region
- Campania, southern Italy
- Province
- Caserta
- Name meaning
- goat's tail (in local dialect)
- Related variety (formerly presumed)
- Coda di Volpe
Facts from the source article.
Did You Know?
- The variety is known to be a reliable crop that tends to produce neutral flavored wines.
- As of 2014, the Vitis International Variety Catalogue still officially recognizes Coda di Pecora only as a synonym of Coda di Volpe, not as a distinct variety.
History
Coda di Pecora was long presumed to be a synonym or clonal variation of Coda di Volpe. In 2005, DNA analysis showed the two varieties were distinct and not closely related. The analysis also indicated that Coda di Pecora may be related to another Campanian variety, San Pietro, which is also grown in the province of Caserta.
Wine regions
Because Coda di Pecora is still mixed up with Coda di Volpe, no one knows exactly how much of it is planted. Experts think that most of the 1,027 hectares listed as Coda di Volpe in the 2000 farm census, especially those near the extinct Roccamonfina volcano in Caserta province, are actually Coda di Pecora. The towns of Conca della Campania, Galluccio, Mignano Monte Lungo, and Tora e Piccilli also have a long history of growing this grape.
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