Vitis vinifera Luglienga - Grapevine

The 'Luglienga' Table Grape is a very ancient variety, a white, Italian grapevine widely cultivated in Europe and often used in blends. Today, it is mainly used as a table grape or for home winemaking. Its grapes are white, yellow, pink, and medium-sized. The light yellow berry is ovoid and medium-sized with sweet and juicy flesh and a slight Muscat flavour. It is quite vigorous, offering good and regular productivity, and ripens early, maturing in late July or early August. It is one of the oldest cultivated plants and prefers regions with a mild climate and hot, dry summers.

The wine grape (Vitis vinifera) grew wild over 5000 years ago in North and Central America, Europe, and Central and Eastern Asia. 'Luglienga' is known by many names, including Seidentraube and Lignan Blanc. It originates from the Piedmont region in Italy, and its name is derived from "Luglio" (Italian for July), indicating early ripening from the end of July. The approximately 160 synonyms attest to its antiquity and early use. The first written mention in Piedmont under the name Luglienchis dates back to 1329, and it was first described by the ampelographer Victor Pulliat (1827-1896) in 1888. According to him, it had already arrived in France from northern Italy in the 14th century. For centuries, it was often grown on pergolas, mainly as a table grape and ornamental vine. Luglienga Bianca is an important flagship variety in the European genetic heritage, with many descendants. Often compared to Chasselas, Luglienga Bianca produces crisp wines that remain fairly neutral in taste. Its higher acidity is considered its main asset, so the grape is mainly used as a blending ingredient.

'Luglienga' is a vigorous, climbing, upright shrub that easily reaches a height of 3 to 4 m with a spread of 2 to 3 m if not pruned. It needs to be trained on a trellis or arbour that it can quickly cover. Its foliage is a beautiful matte light green, with three or five-lobed, toothed leaves. Like most grapes, it is self-fertile. Its spring flowering produces very small greenish flowers which develop into medium-sized clusters. The berries are also medium-sized, oval-shaped, initially greenish-yellow, evolving to a golden yellow and pink at maturity. These fruits are ready to be harvested from late July or early August. They have fairly thin skin and are sweet with a pleasant slight Muscat flavour. This variety is susceptible to botrytis. It is useful to summer prune it to remove certain leaves so that the grapes are exposed to the sun and can acquire that beautiful golden colour, a guarantee of their taste quality.

The 'Luglienga' grape can be consumed as a table grape or as juice, for example in a vitamin-packed fruit cocktail for breakfast. In general, grapes are rich in B vitamins, a source of fibre and manganese, and they are well supplied with antioxidants. They are also believed to play a role in preventing cardiovascular diseases, and they are a healthy, natural, and tasty dessert. To create original fruit salads, sow Cape Gooseberry or Peruvian Ground Cherry (Physalis peruviana) in late spring to harvest its amazing orange fruits from August to October. To enjoy grapes over a long period, plant other varieties of grapevines with staggered ripening.