Researchers at the Institute of Vine and Wine Sciences (ICVV) have identified the cause of the genetic mutation in the Tempranillo grape that gave rise to the Tempranillo Blanco variety.
The research group has identified the cause of spontaneous color loss by sequencing and comparing the genomes of red Tempranillo and white Tempranillo. The cause lies in complex reorganizations of the plant’s genome that follow patterns characteristic of a process known as chromotrypsis. This phenomenon involves the massive fragmentation of some of the chromosomes that make up the organism’s genome. In humans, it has been linked to tumor growth and certain genetic diseases.
The resulting chromosomal fragments are randomly rearranged, so that, at times, some genetic information is lost. In white Tempranillo, this rearrangement causes the loss of genetic information, including genes necessary for the grape skin to accumulate the anthocyanin pigments responsible for its color and other characteristics.
The Tempranillo Blanco variety originated from a natural mutation detected in a vineyard in Murillo de Rio Leza (DOCa Rioja) in the late 1980s. From the buds of the mutant vine, a variety was developed that allows for the production of white wines with great oenological potential; this variety has now spread to cover an area of nearly 800 hectares within the Rioja Qualified Designation of Origin (DOCa).
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