Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Which Wines to Choose and Why
Moscato di Scanzo is Italy's smallest DOCG, at
roughly six hectares, which produce only sixty
thousand bottles, 20 percent of which are
exported. Only wines made from Moscato di
Scanzo grown in the countryside surrounding
the towns of Scanzorosciate on Bergamo's
doorstep can be labeled as Moscato di Scanzo.
However, a very similar (and often just as
good) wine named Valcalepio Moscato Passito
is also made near Scanzorosciate, in the hills
of the Valcalepio area (between the Seriana
and Cavallina valleys, on the left side of the
Serio River). In the past, these other
Moscato
wines carried the label of the town the grapes
grew near, so there were, for example, also a
Moscato Passito di Gandosso and a Moscato
Passito di Castello di Grumello, all made a
stone's throw from Scanzorosciate. Even con-
sidering the extended production area, with
twenty-two producers in all and thirty hectares
in total, estates here are Lilliputian, most pro-
ducing between one thousand and four thou-
sand bottles each year. Moscato di Scanzo is
planted at relatively high altitudes (usually
around 350 meters above sea level, though it
can go quite a bit higher). The best wines are
made from grapes grown in the marly-calcare-
ous, whitish soils known locally as
“sass de
luna,”
very friable, nutrient-poor soil in which
the vines grow slowly and poorly, as there is
very little topsoil; due to its grey-rot sensitivity,
its grapes are trained high off the ground to
increase air circulation.
Moscato di Scanzo is among the very few
sweet red wines in the world that combine
laser-like precision of spicy red berry and violet
aromas and fl avors and high but harmonious
acidity. When they are not the product of exces-
sively air-dried grapes, these wines have a light-
ness and fragrance to the wine that is truly rare.
These wonderful wines—admittedly, a minor-
ity of those produced—won't strike you as hav-
ing 15 percent or more alcohol (though they do)
or as the result of air-drying grapes (though by
law, air-drying proceeds for a minimum of
twenty-one days, and most producers choose
thirty to forty days). All the wines are fairly
sweet and luscious; by law, they must have fi fty
to one hundred grams of residual sugar per
liter and 4.5 grams per liter of total acidity. I
have learned over the years that Moscato di
Scanzo wines show obvious
terroir
-related dif-
ferences, and that there are at least three
ter-
roir
s. Spicy, red berry aromas and rich fl avors
are the norm in wines made in the classic zone
around Monte Bastia, while those from the
eastern part of the DOCG are fruitier and min-
eral, and those from the central part richer and
thicker, with more black fruit (prunes even)
and hints of cocoa.
wines to try:
In the eastern section, try: La
Brugherata*** (Doge), La Rodola*** (Passito,
located just outside Scanzorosciate, in
Trebulina), Il Frances*, and Savoldi*. For the
most classic part of the production area, try:
Pagnoncelli Folcieri*** and La Belèndesa*. For
the central region, try: Il Cipresso*, La Bionda*,
and Cerri*. Interestingly, producers have
recently made dry wines with this variety: the
Vermiglio di Roxia is a dry red wine made with
85 percent Moscato di Scanzo (and 15 percent
Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon). The inclusion
of these latter two grapes might seem like cause
for wonder, but in fairness, the international
varieties have long been traditional to the Ber-
gamo area and provide the dry wines with
added backbone and aging potential.
Moscato Nero di Acqui
where it's found:
Piedmont.
national reg-
istry code number:
155.
color:
red.
Moscato Nero di Acqui is one of the many
Moscato Neros that seem to colorfully dot many
of the world's vineyards. In fact, most often
these are completely unrelated varieties that
only share the dark color of their berries. More
often than not they are table grapes, rather than
wine grapes, and are found growing all over
Italy. Though a color mutation of Moscato
Bianco may always be possible, true Moscato
Nero di Acqui is a distinct variety; according to
