In the last few years Vitis vinifera (the common grape which is then processed into wine) has started to be cultivated in many areas around the Mediterranean Sea. Many cultivated varieties are nowadays considered to be international (i.e. Merlot and Cabernet sauvignon) so they are keen on expressing their features in a similar way all around the world. Nevertheless, they do not always succeed in giving high quality wines and above all, they tend to standardize the local production with a loss of territorial features and local characteristics. In order to enhance the local productions and boost the sales of the product, though, there is a trend focused at re-introducing and evaluating the so called autochthonous varieties which are local varieties (or those that have been living in a certain place for some time now). In order to show how the cultivation of local varieties is beneficial to sustainability, a special case-study from Italy will be presented therein that can be considered as an example for a successful re-introduction.
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