Zinfandel, Dobrièiæ, and Plavac mali: The Genetic Relationship among Three Cultivars of the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia

Abstract

Plavac mali and Zinfandel (syn. Primitivo) (Vitis vinifera L.) have previously been shown to be distinct cultivars but close relatives. They were analyzed, together with 33 cultivars from vineyards in the Croatian region of Dalmatia, at 16 to 25 microsatellite loci in order to further investigate their relationship to each other. Microsatellite alleles and subsequent likelihood analysis showed with a very high degree of probability that Plavac mali is the progeny of Zinfandel and Dobrièiæ. The shoot tips of Plavac mali are similar to those of Zinfandel, while its mature leaves reflect the influence of both parents. All three have similar berry and cluster morphology. Zinfandel is earlier than Plavac mali and Dobrièiæ with respect to both budbreak and fruit ripening. Many of the alleles present in Zinfandel and Dobrièiæ are more common in the Croatian gene pool than in the general population of V. vinifera cultivars. This observation, together with our finding that four additional Croatian cultivars are closely related to Zinfandel, leads us to conclude that Zinfandel originated in Croatia. Vines of the cultivars Crljenak kaštelanski and Pribidrag, found in two different locations in Dalmatia in 2001 and 2002, respectively, were shown to match the microsatellite genotype of Zinfandel.