Naturalised grapevines collected from arid regions in Northern Chile exhibit a high level of genetic diversity

Resurgence of minority and autochthonous grapevine varieties in South America: a review of their oenological potential

“…In the Argentinian wine scenario, most of the winemaking production involves varieties that are commonly used internationally, such as Malbec, Cabernet‐Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc . Around the 17th and 18th centuries, the varieties Criolla Chica (96.4%), Moscatel de Alejandría, Moscatel Blanco, Moscatel Rosado (3.5%), Mollar Cano (0.1%), and others such as Ferral de America, Cereza de América, and Criolla Grande dominated the viniculture in Argentina . However, as in Chile, there was a rapid transformation of the wine industry during the 1990s when there was a reconversion of these old grapevine varieties to high‐value varieties, mainly coming from France .…”

“…As was mentioned above, the cultivation of vines in America dates back to the early 16th century, along with the Spanish colonization . According to Lacoste et al ., the introduction of vines to the Kingdom of Chile took place at the beginning of the Spanish conquest, in the middle of the 16th century.…”

“…However, the incipient Santiago de Nueva Extremadura (Santiago de Chile) population was besieged and burned by the natives (Mapuche‐Picunche) led by the Toqui Michimalonco in September 1541, who opposed the conquest of their territories by the Spanish with tenacious resistance, and all the wine and other items related to it were lost . Later in the 16th century, the Viceroyalty of Peru became an important secondary center for vine cultivation, which spread to other regions of the Spanish kingdom and surrounding territories . From the first stages of South American viticulture until the middle of the 19th century, the Spanish cultivar Listán Prieto (Argentina: cv.…”

“…Moscatel de Alejandría (Fig. ), together with Listán Prieto, came to South America in the second third of the sixteenth century, brought by the Spanish conquerors, who quickly began to find the cities in Peru and Chile . In both territories, they began to cultivate the first vines simultaneously .…”

“…Traditionally, up to 24 000 different grapevine variety denominations have been considered to exist . Important studies have led to the conclusion that the number of grapevine varieties could be much smaller . In that sense, the world wine market is limited to the production of a small amount of grapevine varieties coming mostly from Spain, France, and Italy.…”