Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
straightforward in the mouth, expressing
nuanced saline and mineral notes. The only
current cividin produced for commercial sale is
made by Emilio Bulfon, about whom I can't say
enough good things, seeing as he almost sin-
gle-handedly saved about six or seven grape
local varieties that were otherwise most likely
headed for extinction. That said, I don't think
cividin is Bulfon's most successful or interest-
ing wine. Over the years (and I have tasted
every vintage time and again) I have found his
cividin to be a little neutral, with only delicate
aromas and fl avors of tangerine, pineapple, and
white fl owers. It does offer some structure and
palate presence, perhaps explaining its appeal
to others. I must be missing something, since
Pierpaolo and Ivan Rapuzzi of Ronchi di Cialla,
a leading Friuli Venezia Giulia estate, who
know a lot more about Cividin than I ever will,
have faith in the variety and have planted it—
who am I to argue?
ence to the pale color of the variety's leaves, or
its small bunches. According to Orfeo Salvador,
Carlo Petrussi, and Emilio Bulfon, three of the
biggest experts in matters pertaining to Friuli
wines, it is less likely that the name stems from
bere a canna,
meaning to drink copiously, as
this is a relatively recent colloquialism.
Cjanorie is a very vigorous, fertile, and dis-
ease-resistant variety. We know today that there
are at least two biotypes of this variety, one typi-
cal of the Spilimbergo area and the other of
Nimis. Though both have fairly large circular
or pentagonal leaves, the former's are obviously
much larger than the latter's. Both biotypes are
characterized by medium-sized, cylindrical,
loosely packed bunches with one to two wings;
the berries of the Spilimbergo biotype are
round, while those of the Nimis variant are
oval. All the phenologic phases of Cjanorie's
growth cycle occur late (budbreak, fl owering,
and
veraison
or the start of ripening) except for
ripening, which occurs by mid-September
(Spilimbergo biotype) and in late September or
early October (Nimis biotype). There are no
offi cial clones of this variety.
Marzotto wrote that Cjanorie used to be
especially cultivated in the area around
Gemona; today it is limited to the hillsides of
the Spilimbergo area, near Artegna, Peonis,
Venzone, and Pinzano in the province of Porde-
none, but also Maniago, Meduno, Navarons,
and the area of Vito d'Asio, with scattered vines
farther east, near Nimis. Emilio Bulfon is the
person we have to thank that today we can
speak of Cjanorie. He started out in 1972 and
“it didn't take me long to realize that all the
grapevines I saw around my house were com-
pletely different than any I had ever seen previ-
ously. Deciding I wanted to know more about
them was easy—setting out to select, propagate
and save them was a lot more diffi cult.” In this,
Bulfon acknowledges the help of Enrico Mura-
dor, past director of the agriculture department
of the province of Pordenone and former presi-
dent of the province. Thanks to these enlight-
ened men, we know a little bit about and can
drink cjanorie today.
wines to try:
Emilio Bulfon**, though I am a
much bigger fan of Bulfon's Sciaglin.
Cjanorie
where it's found:
FVG.
national registry
code number:
390.
color:
red.
Also known as Canòre, Canòrie, Chianòrie,
Cianòria, Rossàrie, and Vinosa, the correct
spelling of this variety's name is with a “j,” as
in Cjanorie and not Cianorie. Cjanorie was
never intensely cultivated in Friuli Venezia
Giulia (its only Italian home), but was described
in the hinterland of the provinces of Pordenone
and Udine: this despite its having being sought
after by local eighteenth-century nobles, who
appreciated the delicate, almost pink, lightly
alcoholic wines it made (though some experts
dispute this, believing that Cjanorie was fi rst
reliably documented by Marzotto only in 1923).
Cjanorie's name derives from
cjane
(“canes” in
Friulian), possibly because the vines were tied
to canes or the grapes were once partially air-
dried prior to being pressed. Another possibil-
ity is that the name is related to
canuto,
in refer-
