Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
biotype of Croatina, charmingly called Bonarda
di Rovescala and also known as Bonarda
Pignola. And let's not forget two other syn-
onyms for Croatina, Nebbiolo di Gattinara and
Spanna di Ghemme: you won't be surprised to
know that the real, world-famous Nebbiolo does
grow in both the areas of Gattinara and
Ghemme, where it is usually called Spanna,
and that it has nothing to do with Croatina,
which is however also planted in the same areas
and included in the blends of most wines made
in Gattinara and Ghemme. It's enough to drive
one to drink . . . a good Croatina wine,
perhaps.
Well known since medieval times, Croatina
is probably a native of the Rovescala area of
Lombardy, though Di Rovasenda believed it to
be originally from northern Piedmont. The
fi rst offi cial descriptions of Croatina date to
1831 by Gallesio—an oft-cited notary's docu-
ment from 1192 attests to wine production in
the Rovescala area, but not necessarily to the
presence of Croatina. However, in the late nine-
teenth century Croatina increasingly became a
subject of study, as shown by the writings of De
Maria and Leardi in 1875 and Di Rovasenda in
1877. Though not the easiest variety to grow (an
irregular producer, it's also sensitive to drought
and peronospora), Croatina's resistance to oid-
ium endeared it to farmers and so local acreage
increased over time at the expense of Moradella
(see MORADELLA, chapter 5) and Nebbiolo.
While it is one and the same as variously named
local grapes such as Uva Vermiglia, Uga del
Zio, Crovattina, and Neretto, it should not be
confused with Crova (better known as Lambr-
usca di Alessandria), a similarly named but dif-
ferent and lower-quality grape as far as wine is
concerned.
One reason for the many different names
attributed to Croatina is its high intravarietal
variability, which has led to the existence of
many biotypes even in limited areas. The most
important and highest quality of these is typi-
cal of Rovescala and is called Croatina Pignola
(or Bonarda Pignola, though that is a mistake),
but it remains unclear whether it is a true natu-
ral biotype, a variant affected by viruses, or a
different variety altogether. Generally, Croatina
is characterized by medium-sized, pyramidal
or conical bunches and round berries. There
are eight different clones available. Croatina's
qualities are such that it has been the subject of
crossings: Fregoni created Incrocio Fregoni
108, better known as Ervi, by crossing Croatina
with Barbera (see chapter 6). This new variety,
offi cially recognized in 1999, is the source of
some good, if little-known, wines. Croatina is
common in northern Italy (as its budbreak is
late, spring frosts are not a problem), especially
in Lombardy and Piedmont, but it can be found
in Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, and Sardinia too.
Which Wines to Choose and Why
Croatina is a high-quality variety that deserves
to be better known; wines made with it are
fl eshy and creamy sweet, and it's a useful soft-
ening agent in blends such as Amarone. It is
likely that producers will use it increasingly and
that we shall see more wines made with 100
percent Croatina in the future. Currently, it is
usually used to make IGT Croatina wines (that
are often monovarietal) or DOC wines such as
Oltrepo' Pavese Bonarda that are blends of
Croatina and other varieties like Barbera and
Uva Rara. In Lombardy it is especially abun-
dant in Oltrepò Pavese, where it is the most
important native variety, while in Piedmont it is
grown mainly in the provinces of Alessandria,
Novara, Vercelli, and Cuneo (and more rarely,
in the Colli Tortonesi). In Emilia-Romagna
there is a DOC called Colli Piacentini Bonarda
(the wines are made with Croatina mainly), but
in this region Croatina is most valued for its
role in the DOC wine Gutturnio, blended with
Barbera. For good-quality examples of croatina,
try the DOC wines of Collina Torinese Bonarda
(made with a minimum of a not-otherwise-
specified “Bonarda”), Colline Novaresi
Croatina, Cisterna d'Asti, and Coste della Sesia
Croatina. In Veneto, Croatina is increasingly
being used to make Amarone (especially those
made outside the Classico zone), as Croatina's
soft tannins and fl eshy, fruity personality are
