The red grape variety originates from Italy. There are over 50 synonyms, which indicates that it is very old. The name "Canaiolo" could be derived from "canicola" (Latin for dog days), as the grape ripens in the heat of the summer months. The most important are Caccione Nero, Cagnina, Calabrese, Canaiola, Canaiolo, Canaiolo Borghese, Canaiolo Nero Grosso, Canaiolo Toscano, Canajolo Nero, Canaiolo Romano, Canaiolo Rosso Piccolo, Canajuola, Canina, Cannaiola Macchie di Marta, Uva Canina, Uva Colore Canaiola, Uva Donna, Uva Grossa and Uva Marchigiana.
Origin
According to one hypothesis, an ancestor was already known to the Etruscans and was therefore called Vitis vinifera etrusca. The variety was already mentioned in 1303 by the scholar Petrus de Crescentiis (1230-1321). The agronomist Giovanni Soderini (1526-1596) described it as one of the best Tuscan varieties under the name Canaiuola at the end of the 16th century. Before the Chianti recipe recommended by Baron Ricasoli (1809-1880), it played an important role and was even more important than today's main grape variety, Sangiovese, from the 18th to the 19th century.
