Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
f ledgling natural wines movement, makes
wines that may not be for everyone due to their
tannic nature and slightly oxidized aromas and
fl avors. Nevertheless, he is a big believer in
Trebbiano Modenese and feels it has been
unfairly banished to a “light everyday wine” or
balsamic vinegar context only. In his opinion,
Trebbiano Modenese is instead capable of deliv-
ering big, structured wines unlike any com-
monly associated with the
Trebbiano
varieties;
the wines are always high in acidity and show
best after three years or so of bottle age.
clones exist (R5, TR 3 T, TR 5 T, TR 8 T, TR 12 T,
VCR 424, VCR 429, VCR 436, Ampelos DGV 4,
and Ampelos DVG 6); the TR 8 T is particularly
high quality, earlier ripening, and less vigorous
than the others, used to produce more complex,
deeper wines. Of the numerous biotypes of
Trebbiano Romagnolo, two are most common:
one located especially in fl atland vineyards, and
one found high in the hills. The former can pro-
duce as much as four hundred quintals per hec-
tare (a ridiculously large amount) and has a
medium-small, compact cluster with medium-
large, round berries. The second biotype is the
one that most often looks like a Trebbiano della
Fiamma, and is reddish in hue, very rich in
acids, and gives more complex wines. It has a
very long compact bunch with a large leaf (larger
than the other biotype of Trebbiano Romag-
nolo), and likes clay-loamy soils. Though it
presents few problems to farmers, it began dis-
appearing nonetheless in the 1960s and 1970s
because it produces very little. At 16,285 hec-
tares, in 2010 Trebbiano Romagnolo was Italy's
tenth most-planted variety (actually eighth, if
we remove Merlot and Chardonnay from the
list), but I wonder just how many of those sup-
posed Trebbiano Romagnolo grapevines really
aren't Trebbiano Toscano instead.
wines to try:
Vittorio Graziano** (Tarbianaz),
Corte Manzini* (Il Gherlo, sparkling), Il Monte,
and Celso Vandelli.
Trebbiano Romagnolo
where it's found:
Emilia-Romagna.
national
registry code number:
242.
color:
white.
Trebbiano Romagnolo is an ancient variety,
documented in Romagna by Pier de' Crescenzi
in 1303— or at least, he documented a
Trebbiano
variety that was then grown in Romagna. In
the countryside around Lugo, in the province
of Ravenna, it is also known as Trebbiano della
Fiamma, “of the fl ame,” as its berries tend to a
bright golden-bronze when fully ripe. However,
the latter is actually a very high-quality biotype
of Trebbiano Romagnolo; not all biotypes share
the same reddish hue of the berries or the pen-
chant for making high-quality wine. Unfortu-
nately, there is so much Trebbiano Toscano
grown in Emilia-Romagna that Romagnolo
and Toscano grapevines often grow next to
each other right in the same row of vines; and
I've often seen producers who believe theirs is
the Romagnolo variety but actually have
Tosc a no
.
Trebbiano Romagnolo is characterized by
pentagonal, medium-sized leaves, medium-
sized, pyramid-shaped bunches that have one or
two wings, and round berries. It's very resistant
to peronospora and botrytis, less to oidium; like
all
Trebbiano
s it's a vigorous variety that guaran-
tees regular and abundant crops. Ten offi cial
Which Wines to Choose and Why
Trebbiano Romagnolo is found in Emilia-
Romagna, especially in the provinces of
Ravenna and Forlì. In my view, the authentic
Trebbiano Romagnolo has plenty to say in the
realm of everyday, light, easy-going wines, but
it's hard to come across a truly pure version of
it. The wine seems to me to be richer and more
complex than those made with even old vine
Trebbiano Toscano, hinting at riper yellow
fruit, chlorophyll, and aniseed, and with a
richer texture. That said, many wines labeled
trebbiano romagnolo are insipid and neutral,
which may just be a matter of the biotype used;
this is why Trebbiano Romagnolo is often made
as an inexpensive, uncomplicated sparkling
wine meant for drinking in the very near term
(at most within one year from the vintage).
