In the Sicilian island of Pantelleria, vineyard workers are today harvesting a variety of Zibibbo grapes which can go through extinction soon.
Most people know it as Muscat of Alexandria, as it originated in the Egyptian city, and the grapes are used to make Passito wines, considered one of the Italian most popular dessert wines.
Over the last five years, scientists have been scouring remote outposts across the Mediterranean basin in search of endangered strains of this ancient vine, removing vines from overgrown estates and remote mountain tops in Spain, Italy, Greece and France and cultivating them on test plots on Pantelleria.
In September, for the first time, fruits of their labour are being harvested from 2,117 vines scattered across the remote volcanic island. Surely a first important step in preserving vines that are some of the oldest in existence.
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