The red grape variety originates from Italy. The name means "little sweets" and refers to the sweet, somewhat low-acid grapes. Synonyms are Acqui, Bathiolin, Bourdon Noir, Charbonneau, Chasselas Noir, Crete de Coq, Dolcetta Nera, Dolcetto a Raspo Rosso, Dolcetto a Raspe Verde, Dolcetto Crni, Dolcetto Nero, Dolcetto Piemontese, Dolchetto, Dolcino, Dolcino Nero, Gros Plant, Mauvais Noir, Nibièu, Nibiò, Ocanette, Ormeasco (2. main name), Picot Rouge, Plant de Chapareillan, Plant de Montmélian, Plant de Turin, Primaticcio, Primativo, Promotico, Ravanellino, Refošk Dibeli, Rotstieliger Dolcedo, Uva d'Acqui, Uva del Monferrato, Uva di Ovada and Uva di Roccagrimalda.
According to a legendary tale, Marchese di Clavesana issued an edict in 1303 forbidding the planting of anything other than Dolcetto in his domain on pain of death. In an edict issued in Dogliani in the province of Cuneo in Piedmont in 1593, it was forbidden to harvest the Dozzeti variety before St Matthew's Day (21 September). It was described as Dosset by a Conte Nuvolone in 1798. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) also focussed on grape varieties during his trip to Italy from 1786 to 1788 and also mentioned Dolcetto, which he (wrongly) considered to be identical to Refosco.
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Thomas Götz
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