Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
same study also proved that Oseleta, Ron-
dinella, and even Dindarella are closer relatives
of Corvina than Corvinone. In 2007, Cancel-
lier, Coletti, Coletti, Soligo, and Michelet also
showed that Corvina is distinct from the much
rarer but similarly named Corbina, a cultivar
that is also believed to have outstanding wine-
making potential. It is noteworthy that despite
the absence of accurate modern investigative
technology in centuries past, the distinction
between the
Corbine
and
Corvine
varieties was
quite clear to our ancestors, as documented by
Marzotto in 1925, who stated that the
Corvine
veronesi
were distinct from the
Corbine.
Fur-
thermore, Friuli Venezia Giulia's almost extinct
and little-known Curvin variety (currently
being studied by the prestigious Ronchi di
Cialla estate in conjunction with the University
of Udine) is also distinct from both Corvina
and Corbina: the three really don't look alike at
all, and Curvin has a distinct SSR profi le (Cres-
pan, Fabbro, Giannetto, Meneghetti, Petrussi,
Del Zan, and Sivilotti 2011). Finally, an impor-
tant study (Grando, Stefanini, Zambanini, and
Vouillamoz 2006) revealed that Corvina has
parent-offspring relationships with Refosco del
Peduncolo Rosso and Rondinella (the latter
another Veneto cultivar used in making the
wine blends of the Valpolicella area). What is
fascinating is that since we know that Refosco
del Peduncolo Rosso is a progeny of Marzemino,
then Corvina must be an offspring of Refosco
del Peduncolo Rosso and a parent of Ron-
dinella, which also means that Corvina is likely
a grandchild of Marzemino (see MARZEMINO
entry; see
REFOSCO
GROUP, chapter 3).
Corvina is characterized by medium-sized,
long, cylindrical-pyramidal bunches that often
have a long wing dripping down the side; in
these cases, it almost looks as if there are two
bunches in one (local farmers still refer to this
as Corvina Doppia, thinking it's a distinct vari-
ety, but it's not); the medium-sized berries are
oval shaped and have plenty of bloom. It prefers
dry, well-exposed sites. Though vigorous and
dependably productive, ensuring large yields, it
tends to be disease-prone (compact subvarieties
are especially botrytis sensitive), is very sensi-
tive to water stress, and its berries are prone to
sunburn. It can also undergo dissection of the
spine, and care is needed so that mechanical
harvesting does not damage the stalks. It is still
often trained with the
pergola veronese
system,
where the grapes grow high above ground hori-
zontally, a different setup from the better-
known
pergola trentina,
in which the grapes
grow lower to the ground but are trained diago-
nally upwards. The pergola training systems
are ideal for Corvina, since it does not fruit on
the fi rst few buds of the cane and therefore
needs plenty of space, and since it is disease
sensitive and therefore benefi ts from additional
air currents and distance from the ground's
humidity.
Thanks to a thick, resistant skin, Corvina
takes extremely well to air-drying, explaining
its use for Amarone and Recioto della Valpoli-
cella, the latter Veneto's sweet red wine. In fact,
air-drying is an absolute necessity with Cor-
vina, as it has trouble reaching adequate sugar
concentrations and alcohol potential. To help it
reach optimal ripeness, some winemakers, like
the talented Laura Zuddas, who consults at the
Giovanna Tantini estate, also harvest late and
directly on the vine, weather permitting, and
perform strong green harvests, removing up to
50 percent of the bunches at the time of the
berry color change.
Corvina grows practically only in Italy's
Veneto region, especially in the province of
Verona in the Valpolicella area and in the Bar-
dolino area, the latter hugging Lake Garda, on
the border with Lombardy. It is also grown in
Lombardy, in the province of Sondrio, where it
is called Corvino. It is currently enjoying
remarkable success, and the surface area
planted to Corvina in Italy increased 27 percent
from 2000 to 2010. It is also grown in Aus-
tralia and in Argentina, where the famous Masi
estate of Veneto has led the way.
Which Wines to Choose and Why
The best DOCG and DOC wines in which to
taste Corvina are Valpolicella (up to 80 percent
