Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
thermore, Biancame remains separate from
Trebbiano Toscano in the National Registry.
Not that things are all that free of confusion
there either: while the two varieties are listed
among the synonyms of each, the names of the
offi cially certifi ed clones for each of these two
cultivars are different. In any case, I will also
list them separately in this topic. I can add that
in my own experience, the two varieties look
and behave differently enough to warrant their
being viewed as distinct cultivars.
Biancame is also known as Bianchello
(which is the name of the best-known wine
made from it, Bianchello del Metauro), Bal-
samina Bianca, and Biancone. However the last
of these is incorrect, as Biancone is likely
another variety entirely (typical of Elba and
long confused with Trebbiano Toscano, hence
the erroneous identifi cation with Biancame).
Experts once believed Biancame to be a relative
of Greco, but this is wrong too. Last but not
least, there is some evidence that Biancame and
Morbidella might be identical as well, but more
research is required on this matter.
Biancame is a historically famous variety:
the Carthaginian troops of Asdrubal (Hanni-
bal's much less clever cousin) got carried away
in their libations while campaigning in
Metauro, and ended up on the wrong end of a
horrifi c defeat at the hands of the Romans, the
battle of Metauro. Were this story proven true
beyond doubt, we could then say that Biancame
contributed to creating the world as we know it
today; for had Rome lost that battle, historians
are in agreement that Carthage would have
ultimately won the Punic wars. Biancame is
generally described as having medium-large,
pentagonal leaves with a lightly downy under-
surface (Trebbiano Toscano's is much more
hairy), large, cylindrical-conical bunches that
often have a bifi d tip, and medium-size yellow-
green berries with very little bloom. In fact,
this is for me one of the distinguishing features
of Biancame: even when fully mature, its ber-
ries never turn golden-yellow or reddish as do
those of Trebbiano Toscano (or at least, some
biotypes of it) and of many other
Trebbiano
vari-
eties. In this respect, Biancame lives up to its
name, obviously derived from
bianco,
which
means white. The variety is vigorous and very
resistant to pathogens, even more than other
Trebbiano
s; only botrytis can cause problems in
rainy years. Biancame takes well to rootstocks
K5BB and 41B on fresher soils, while 140 is the
rootstock of choice on dry ones. There are
six official clones (CSV-AP PS-2, CSV-AP
PS-3, CSV-AP PS-7, CSV-AP PS-8, CAB 19, and
CAB 20).
Which Wines to Choose and Why
Biancame is grown in the Marche, mainly
around the cities of Urbino and Pesaro. The
three most important DOCs are the aforemen-
tioned Bianchello del Metauro, Colli di Rimini
Biancame, and Colli di Rimini Bianco (though
in this last, the preponderant variety is Trebbi-
ano Romagnolo). A good monovarietal Bian-
came wine is fresh and crisp, with delicate
herbal nuances, white fruit, and citrus notes. It
is lemony fresh and light-bodied.
wines to try:
For Bianchello del Metauro, try:
Guerrieri** (reputedly 100 percent Biancame),
Claudio Morelli** (Borgo Torre), Roberto
Lucarelli* (Rocho), and Valentino Fiorini*
(Tenuta Campioli).
Bianchetta Trevigiana
where it's found:
Veneto.
national regis-
try code number:
27.
color:
white.
It was Italo Cosmo who added “Trevigiana”
(in reference to the pretty city of Treviso, located
in the center of Bianchetta's historic growing
zone) to this variety's name in 1964, in an
effort to avoid confusion with the many other
Bianchettas: not a bad idea. Bianchetta is one of
many Italian natives named on the basis of skin
color, which means there are many unrelated
“Bianchetta” varieties all over Italy that have
only a pale hue in common. To further compli-
cate matters, Bianchetta Trevigiana has always
been known by a variety of other names, includ-
ing Bianca Gentile di Fonzaso, Biancara,
