title: Traditional alcoholic beverages and their value in the local culture of the Alta Valle del Reno, a mountain borderland between Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna (Italy).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Traditional alcoholic beverages (TABs) have only received marginal attention from researchers and ethnobotanists so far, especially in Italy. This work is focused on plant-based TABs in the Alta Valle del Reno, a mountainous area on the border between Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna regions. The aims of our study were to document local knowledge about TABs and to analyze and discuss the distribution of related knowledge within the investigated communities.
  
  
  METHODS
  Field data were collected through semi-structured interviews. The relative importance of each plant species used to prepare TABs was assessed by calculating a general Use Value Index (UV general), a current UV (UV current) and a past UV (UV past). We also assessed personal experience of use by calculating effective and potential UV (UV effective, UV potential). A multivariate analysis was performed to compare ingredients in recipes recorded in the Alta Valle del Reno with those reported for neighboring areas.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-six plant species, belonging to 20 families, were recorded. Rosaceae was the most significant family (98 citations, 19 species), followed by Rutaceae (15, 3) and Lamiaceae (12, 4). The most important species was Prunus cerasus L. (UV general = 0.44), followed by Juglans regia L. (0.38), Rubus idaeus L. (0.27) and Prunus spinosa L. (0.22). Species with the highest UV current were Juglans regia (0.254), Prunus cerasus (0.238) and Citrus limon L. (0.159). The highest UV effective values were obtained by Prunus cerasus (0.413), Juglans regia (0.254), Rubus idaeus (0.222) and Citrus limon (0.206). We also discuss the results of the multivariate analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TABs proved to occupy an important place in the traditional culture and social life of the studied communities. Moreover, data highlight the local specificity and richness of this kind of tradition in the Alta Valle del Reno, compared to other Italian areas. Some plant ingredients used for TABs have potential nutraceutical and even therapeutic properties that are well known by local people. These properties could constitute an additional economic value for TABs' commercialization, which in turn could promote the local rural economy.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento Biología Aplicada, Escuela Politécnica Superior, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Ctra. Beniel Km 3.2, 03312, Orihuela, Alicante, Spain.|Dipartimento di Scienze delle Produzioni Agroalimentari e dell'Ambiente, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Egea
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Adele
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Signorini
authors.affiliation: Agenzia Italiana per la Cooperazione allo Sviluppo - Italian Development Cooperation Agency, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ongaro
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento Biología Vegetal, Campus de Espinardo, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rivera
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento Biología Aplicada, Escuela Politécnica Superior, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Ctra. Beniel Km 3.2, 03312, Orihuela, Alicante, Spain.
authors.forename: Concepción
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Obón de Castro
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze delle Produzioni Agroalimentari e dell'Ambiente, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Florence, Italy. piero.bruschi@unifi.it.
authors.forename: Piero
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bruschi
mesh_terms: D000434:Alcoholic Beverages; D003469:Culture; D019448:Ethnobotany; D007558:Italy
keywords: Aromatized wines; Distillates; Ethnobotany; Fermented beverages; Liquors