Abrusco is a red Italian wine grape variety grown primarily in the Tuscany region where it is a minor blending component permitted in the wines of Chianti. The grape has long history in the region and was mentioned in 1600, under its synonyms Abrostino and Colore, in the posthumously published work by Italian agronomist Giovan Vettorio Soderini Trattato della coltivazione delle viti, e del frutto che se ne può cavare. There Soderini notes that the grape was often used to add deeper, more red color to Tuscan wines.[1]
The variety is considered quite rare and is close to extinction with only 6 hectares (15 acres) of the grape variety reported in the 2000 Italian census. The Tuscan producer Le Tre Stelle has worked to keep the variety still viable, producing a limited production Indicazione geografica tipica (IGT) wine made of 100% Abrusco from 20 vines that were discovered growing among other varieties in an old vineyard owned by the winery.[1] Another Tuscan producer Tuscan Soul winery is also working with the centre of research and development for Tuscany to produce wines of 100% Abrusco from 0.2 hectares of land on their estate in Cetona, Siena.[2]