| Dimyat | |
|---|---|
| Grape (Vitis) | |
| Color of berry skin | Blanc |
| Species | Vitis vinifera |
| Also called | Seelist of synonyms |
| Origin | Bulgaria |
| Notable regions | Black Sea coast |
| VIVC number | 5716 |
Dimyat (Bulgarian:димят) is a whiteBulgarian winegrape. It is one ofBulgaria's most widely planted white grape varieties, second only toRkatsiteli. Wines made from this variety are noted for theirperfumearomas.[1] While someampelographers believe that the variety is indigenous to Bulgaria, legends have developed around Dimiat being named after a city in theNile Delta and was brought back to Europe byCrusaders in theMiddle Ages.[2]
The exact origins of the Dimyat grape are unknown, with some ampelographers believing the vine to be native to the Bulgaria area. RecentDNA typing has shown it to be a crossing ofGouais Blanc (Weißer Heunisch) with another, unidentified grape variety.[3] Gouais is a parent of several older European grape varieties. One alternative hypothesis, which is highly improbable given the Gouais parentage, is the legendary tale that the grape was native to theNile Delta valley (where today there is an Egyptian city with a similar name,Damietta) and was brought back toThrace by Christian Crusaders.[2]
It is likely that the grapecrossed withRiesling to produce the pink-skinnedMisket Varnenski grape variety.[4]
The Dimyat grape is almost exclusively grown in Bulgaria with vineyards mostly in the south and eastern parts of the country.[2] It is most widely planted in theChirpan,Preslav andShumen regions around theBlack Sea.[5] Other Bulgarian wine regions growing some Dimyat includeHaskovo andVarna.[6] After Rkatsiteli, it is the second most widely planted white grape variety with over 23,720 acres (9,600 hectares) planted in 2005.[4]
Outside of Bulgaria, there is small plantings of the variety in the neighbouringGreek wine region ofThraki (part of what was the historical region of Thrace). Here Dimyat is known under its synonym ofZoumiatiko.[7] Smederevka is the 12th most planted grape variety in Serbia, with most planting being in theSouth Banat (47%) andThree Moravas (24,7%) wine regions.[8]
The Dimiat vine is characterized by the large size of the individual grape berries with the potential for highyields if not kept in check.[6] Duringveraison, the berries turncopper yellow.[4] In addition to being used in the production of table wines, Dimiat is oftendistilled to produce Bulgarianbrandy (rakia).[5]
Dimiat wines are usuallylight bodied and very aromatic. The wines are usually made with some level ofsweetness ranging from off-dry to very sweet.[2] In Bulgaria, somedessert wines are made from Dimiat.[6] The wine is often served very chilled and is usually consumed young, without muchaging.[4]
The varioussynonyms of Dimiat include-Ahorntraube, Beglerdia, Beglezsia, Bekaszaju, Bekaszölö, Belezsi, Belina, Belina krupna, Belogollandskii, Belogollanskii, Bemena, Bois Jaune, Damiat, Damjat, Damjat bial, Debela lipovina, Dertonia, Dertonija, Dertonilia, Dimiate, Dimjat, Drobna Lipovscina, Dymiat, Fehér Szemendriai, Galan, Koplik, Krupna belina, Laschka, Laska belina, Mana Kuki, Misket de Silven, Misket Slivenski, Nagyvögü, Pamid, Pamit, Parmac, Plovdina, Plovdina esküska, Plovdina eskulska, Saricibuk, Plovdiska, Podbelec, Podbeuz, Radoviska plovdina, Roscara, Rosiora, Saratchobok, Saridzibuk, Semendra, Semendria, Semendru, Senederevka, Smederevka, Smederevka bianca, Smederevka bijela, Smederevka white, Szemendriai féher, Szemendriai Zöld, Szemendrianer, Tök szöllö, Töksölö, Tökszölö, Töröklugas, Wippacher, Wippacher ahornblättrig, Yapalaki, Zarja, Zmedervka, Zoumiatico, Zoumiatis, Zumjat, Zumjatiko and Zumyat.[3]