The red grape variety originates from Croatia. Synonyms grouped alphabetically by country are Morellone, Primaticcio, Primativo, Primitivo, Primitivo di Gioia, Uva di Corato, Zagarese (Italy); Crljenac Kaštelanski, Crljenak Crni, Crljenak Kaštelanski, Plavac Veliki, Pribidrag, Trebidrag (Croatia); Grakošija, Gratošija, Krakošija, Kratkošica, Kratkošija, Kratkošija Crna, Kratošija, Kratošijo (Montenegro); Zinfandel (USA). It should not be confused with the varieties Blatina, Crljenak Crni, Plavac Mali or Vranac, despite seemingly suggestive synonyms or morphological similarities. According to DNA analyses carried out by scientists Dr Carole Meredith and John Bowers at the University of California in collaboration with Croatian and Italian grapevine specialists from 1994 to 2011, the identity, which had been unclear for decades, was clarified:
four names - one grape variety
The Croatian Tribidrag (in older sources still called Crljenak Kaštelanski), the Italian Primitivo, the Californian Zinfandel and the Montenegrin Kratošija are genetically (almost) identical. The variety is therefore also referred to as ZPC = Zinfandel / Primitivo / Crljenak Kaštelanski. Although Primitivo and Tribidrag/Zinfandel are not 100% identical according to DNA analyses, they are considered to be one grape variety. According to the ampelographic rule, a variety is labelled according to the oldest name used, which is why the name Tribidrag, already mentioned in the 15th century, was suggested in the grape variety bible "Wine Grapes". The varieties have developed somewhat differently over the last 200 years in terms of ripening time, susceptibility to disease and flavour. The Zinfandel variety has its very own history in the USA.
Origin
The earliest mention of Primitivo was made in 1799 by the amateur botanist Francesco Filippo Indellicati (1767-1831) from Gioia del Colle (province of Bari) in the Apulia region. He discovered the rare vine in his vineyard. He noticed its early ripening at the end of August (which was true for the Primitivo clone at the time), which is why he coined the name "Primativo" or "Primaticcio" from the Latin "primativus" for "first to ripen". At...
