Divico is a new red wine grape variety developed at the Swiss Centre of Excellence for Agricultural Research (Agroscope) in the late 1990s and released for planting in 2013.
A crossing of hybrids Gamaret and Bronner, Divico was bred with the aim of producing a red variety with similar characteristics to grapes of the Vitis Vinifera species (such as Gamay and Pinot Noir), but with high resistance to mildew, grey rot and other fungal diseases. The Swiss have a history of developing such grapes as part of an agenda to reduce the use of pesticides and move towards greener viticultural practice. Divico follows Diolinoir, Garanoir and Galotta as grapes which were bred for this purpose, and whilst presently the new variety occupies only 2% of the national vine, it’s popularity with environmentally conscious producers (and consumers) is expected to grow significantly in the coming years. Named after the historic leader of a Helvetian tribe, Divico is an early ripening variety with moderate yield potential. It can be used in a blend or vinified separately to produce full-bodied wines with an intense, deep red colour and generous tannins.
